Has your elderly loved one decided to age at home? If they are unable to care for themselves properly, do you have the time and expertise necessary to look after them? This is where hiring a caregiver for in-home help comes into the picture.
An in-home caregiver provides older adults with the help and care they need in the comfort of their home. Essentially, the caregiver travels to the client’s home, provides the necessary care, and leaves when their shift ends. It is important to ensure that the chosen in-home caregiver is reliable in every relevant aspect. Here is a brief guide on how to prepare for hiring a caregiver for in-home help.
Determining Your Older Loved One’s Needs
Older adults experience varying complications as they age. For example, some experience memory loss but retain their mortar skills, while others may need help with activities of daily living (ADLs) such as dressing and eating.
It is prudent to determine what type of care and help your older loved one needs before hiring an in-home caregiver. Consider the following factors to determine their needs:
- • Do they need help with ADLs such as bathing, dressing, and preparing meals?
- • Can they move independently without walking aids or someone else’s assistance?
- • Do they need to travel, and can they drive without supervision?
- • Are they suffering from a chronic condition that calls for medical care?
- • Are they experiencing dementia or cognitive decline?
Do they need companionship?
Your older loved one’s needs will determine the degree and type of help they will require from their in-home caregiver. In turn, this will determine what kinds of services the personal attendant will provide.
Hiring a caregiver for in-home help entails finding out what your loved one needs assistance with, and working with a reputable company to schedule visits from a qualified, personable caregiver.
Write Down a Job Description Outline
An excellent at-home care agency, like the team at Home Care Pros, will assist you in creating a schedule and list of caregiver duties. Outlining a job description will help everyone involved understand what your family requires. Ideally, you should discuss the following two important issues:
- • Your older loved one’s daily needs
- • Any underlying medical conditions and disabilities
Finding the Right Caregiver – 5 Factors to Consider
Ideally, the right in-home caregiver should have the skills and expertise to provide all the care and help your older loved one needs. Considering the following factors will help you find the right personal assistant:
Professional Training & Certification
Caregivers perform sensitive services such as monitoring their clients’ health. Ideally, professional caregivers should be trained, certified, and licensed. The caregiver’s certification and license will determine the services they can offer.
For example, someone with a standard caregiver certification can only offer basic services such as helping clients with their ADLs. In contrast, a certified nursing assistant (CNA) can offer limited medical services, such as reminding them to take their medicine or performing first aid.
Relevant Skills & Expertise
Ideally, the hired caregiver should possess the right skills and expertise to perform all their responsibilities. For example, they should be able to cook if your older loved one needs help preparing meals.
Personality
Caring for older adults calls for a calm demeanor. Ideally, the hired personal assistant should possess virtues such as patience and understanding. Overall, they should have a friendly and generous personality.
Schedule Flexibility
Does your older loved one require temporary or around-the-clock care? Whatever their needs, the agreed upon schedule should allow enough time to provide the services requested. Be confident that assistance can be provided on short notice.
Reliability
Some incompetent in-home caregivers ignore or neglect their clients. Unfortunately this can cause potentially devastating consequences. Ideally, your chosen caregiver’s integrity, competence, and reliability should be unquestionable.
Consult a Home Care Agency
Working with a professional in-home care agency comes with many benefits, including:
- • All caregivers are trained, certified or licensed, experienced, and pre-screened.
- • The agency provides protection against liabilities such as workplace accidents.
- • You can request quick backup care if something unexpected comes up.
- • Hiring a caregiver from an agency requires less paperwork and tax calculations than an independent freelancer.
- • Certain caregivers have medical and equipment expertise.
Conclusion
Do you need a caregiver for in-home help to assist an older loved one in, or near, Alameda county? Fortunately, you have found Home Care Pros!
We offer in-home care services carried out by qualified, experienced, and passionate caregivers in California’s Bay Area such as Oakland, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Orinda, Lafayette, Danville, Blackhawk, Alamo and Walnut Creek. Get in touch today to learn more about how we can help.