There is a cost and it will vary with newspaper. It helps screen out some people to spend more money on the advertisement in the first place. Some personal information to relate to you as a person instead of a ‘quadriplegic needs help’.
What Should Be in The Newspaper Ad?
- Something personal that does not invade your privacy
- Live in or live out
- Days/hours needed, weekend or weekday
- Brief description of duties
- Payment
- Time to call & phone number
- Area of interest that highlights you as a person rather than a medical condition
Something Personal
Include in your advertisement something personal that does not invade your privacy. You want to communicate to a prospective assistant, that you or the person you are hiring for, if a child or an elderly adult parent, are a person, not just a medical condition.
You might consider spending more money on the ad and build in some kind of screening technique. One suggestion is to require the potential assistant to call during a certain time of the day. This helps you see if a person can follow direction. Also it leaves you off the hook for being available at all hours.
Examples of a Newspaper Ads
"Woman who uses electric wheelchair. Has transportation. Needs assistance with personal care. Weekdays from 10am – 12pm, Call eves 7-9pm, 123-4567"
“Spirited, quiet, intelligent, recovery oriented, working woman in wheelchair with 2 cats, many interests including computers, seeks capable, live-in weekday female assistant. Ability to lift transfer, light cooking/housekeeping, personal care, shopping, errands. Free time during day/evening. Weekends off. $1,000 mo., + room. Start April 1. Call 123-456-7890.”
“If you are a student and have other goals for yourself or another part time job, that is great. I find it’s a better match if I can provide a stable living situation for someone who is pursuing goals for themselves while working for me”.
Prepare an 8” by 11” flyer or 3x5 cards: you can hand deliver, have someone do it for you or make some phone calls and find out a contact person. You could then mail the flyer or 3 x 5 cards to them.
When advertising you might consider using the term ‘assistant’, it is becoming more acceptable. It indicates that this is a job that someone gets wages to provide a service to assist you in functioning. Personal assistant is often called attendant, ‘caregiver’, ‘aide’, ‘helper’, and ‘personal care provider’. The term “personal assistant” is an inclusive term that can include the many tasks an assistant may have to provide and implies an employment relationship.
