For many adults, their parents will reach a certain age where they can no longer comfortably now safely take care of themselves. In some situations, the children or grandchildren of these elderly can take on the responsibility of caring for their loved ones themselves. But in many cases, a caregiver must be brought in for some or most of the required care. For example, many agencies such as Care For Family (https://careforfamily.com.au/) offer in-home care services where experienced caregivers come to the home to take care of elderly people, provided that this is what they prefer.
If you find yourself in a situation that requires the help of such services, it can be stressful and overwhelming to find the right fit for your loved one, especially if they’ve expressed a preference for their care that you can’t give them. So to help you find the right match for them, here are three tips for finding a suitable caregiver for your aging parent.
Find Someone You Both Get Along With
Because your loved one’s caregiver will be interacting with everyone in the home, it’s important that you’re able to find someone who can get along with both your parents and whomever else they’re living or working with.
To do this, Tracy Layden, a contributor to HealthyWomen.org, advises that you really take your time in finding the right caregiver to hire. While you might have to hire someone in the meantime or rely on others for additional care, it will be well worth it to find the right fit for your loved one and yourself. The last thing you want to do is rush into making a bad hiring decision that results in a bad experience for your aging parent.
A hasty decision could result in an unsuitable match, causing undue stress and discomfort for your loved one. It is, therefore, important to carefully consider the qualifications, experience, and personality of any potential hire, as well as seeking recommendations and conducting thorough background checks. By taking these steps, you can help ensure that your aging parent is cared for by someone who is compassionate of offering Home Care, and is a good fit for your parent’s specific needs and preferences.
Decide How Much Care They Need
Before you can hope to find the best caregiver for you parent, you must first determine how much care your loved one will really be in need of. Different people will require different levels of care, and knowing this before you start your search can make things a whole lot easier. In some cases, you might opt for a caretaker instead of a caregiver if your loved one needs more help with the home than themselves. Keep in mind that these are two different jobs, and you can’t expect a caretaker to do a caregiver’s tasks. Take a look at Caregiver vs Caretaker roles and responsibilities so you can better understand each area.
According to Scott Nordlund, a contributor to MoneyWise.com, figuring out how much care your loved one needs will usually require you to have a difficult conversation with them. In many instances, your loved one will likely underestimate how much care they need, so you’ll have to use your own discretion to find a happy medium for everyone involved.
Be Clear About Your Expectations
Prior to extending a formal offer to a caregiver, Caregiver.org recommends that you have a job description written out that will explain very clearly what’s expected of the caregiver that works with your parent.
In this job description, make sure you outline your expectations about things like cooking, cleaning, driving, medications, certifications, hours, pay, smoking, pets, meals and more. By doing this, you’ll ensure that you and your candidate are on the same page from the get-go.
If you’re needing to find a caregiver for your parent, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you find a suitable hire.
