When you are under stress and have no experience with caregiving or finding help, locating assistance can be very difficult and only adds to your stress.  After many hours and days of searching and calling agencies, I was able to find organizations in Florida that were able to assist me by giving me and my brother a break when we needed it the most. 

It's important to know and remember that although these agencies can provide caregivers to you for a fee, you must always be ready with a plan in the event the caregiver scheduled to arrive does not show up or calls off sick at the last minute.  I experienced this issue several times and, in many cases, there was no backup caregiver available through the agency.  I ended up having to fill the shift myself, usually during overnight hours, and then go to work the next morning.

It's important to understand that I worked with organizations who provided an account manager or representative with a 24-hour contact number.  If someone called in sick, the organization would have a replacement caregiver most of the time.  I once tried website that had caregivers who shared their experience and what their hourly rate was.  I submitted a request to two or three of these, but I never had success in someone responding to my requests.  So, I found these types of services unreliable and disappointing.

Even if you have a confirmed caregiving scheduled, always have a backup plan.