Some studies have shown that 4 out of every five adults that need care giving are not living in institutions but private homes of their relatives. If you provide care for an aged relative in your home, you may have to take on more responsibilities that may stretch you to the limit, both financially and physically. If that is your experience, you may consider getting a caretaker to help you out while you focus on some other important things. However, getting the best caretaker that will give you value for your money and give your loved one the loving attention he or she needs can be a bit challenging. That’s where the problem lies.
Here are some practical tips that can help you make the best choice when shopping for a caretaker:
- Know the type of care you want!
The type of care you are looking for is the first factor you must consider when looking for a credible caretaker. You need first to understand the type of care giving you want. One includes the need to determine if you want a permanent caretaker or one that will provide necessary assistance as the need arises. You can make the right decision by considering the needs of the person you need a caretaker to assist. Does the sick family member need just some basic assistance or does he need special attention? For instance, ask yourself if the family member will be okay with assistance to handle some personal care or daily activities such as meal preparation, or household chores. Will he or she be okay with a companion just a companion? If that is the case, in-home care services will be just okay. Otherwise, consider whether all you need is assistance in medication management or physical therapy. Your need will determine your choice. When you have finally settled on what you want, you can move to the next step. - Should you hire an individual or an agency?
Whether to have an individual o an agency is another decision you must make. You may consider hiring an agency of the care recipient’s condition is critical or hire an individual if the condition is still under control. The most important factor that determines which of the options you should go for is discussed above: identify the care receiver’s needs. That will help you understand which of the options will yield the best result. Decide on this before you proceed with the hiring. - Consider the qualification of a potential caregiver.
Don’t overlook the importance of checking the qualification of a potential caregiver before hiring him or her. You should consider the prospect’s professional and behavioral qualifications. Firstly, check the caregiver’s qualifications to see whether he or she has the required certifications that make him or her qualify as a caregiver. Checking includes whether he or she has passed the necessary exams and is certified by the government. There may be an agency or church in your area that knows of people who have attended to aging people in the past and can help you find a knowledgeable person for this. Whether the person is taking medications that require some medical background will help you decide on a qualified nurse or a less qualified caretaker.
Apart from the professional qualification, check his or her attitudes too. Someone who qualifies as a caregiver must possess these attributes:
- Must be compassionate:
Compassion is one of the many attributes that you must expect of a professional caregiver. A good attitude will help the caregiver to be considerate of the care recipient and go out of his or her way to help your relative cope with his or her health problem. - Must be trustworthy:
A caregiver must be trustworthy. By his or her work and the condition of the patient, the caregiver has absolute access to the property of his or her client. In the incapacitating condition of the caregiver recipient, there’s little the client can do to prevent petty stealing and related crimes. However, a trustworthy caregiver will not breach the trust you reposed in him or her. That way, you can rest assured that both your family member and his or her belongings are in good hands. - Must be patient:
Patience is a virtue that a caregiver should have in abundance. The patient may be unpredictable, and that may necessitate an immediate change of plan. That is in addition to disappointments that may arise from failure to meet some specific goals set before taking up the job, including slow response to treatment and other negative attitudes from the client. Only a patient caregiver can succeed under such condition. - Must be dependable:
A qualified caregiver should be dependable. That’s a must-have quality. A caregiver that lacks this attribute can hardly succeed as a caregiver. He must be dependable enough to obey the terms and conditions of his services to the letter. If a caregiver does not have a track record of dependability, you should consider another option. - Must be attentive:
An inattentive caregiver cannot make a good one. The caregiver needs information about his or her client that will enable him or her to know the best approach that will give the best result. Also, during the care giving process, there may be different changes, some physical while some are emotional. Without paying attention, the caregiver may not notice such changes to act according to the dictates of the changes. That will surely have a negative impact on the results of his or her effort. - Conduct background checks on the caregiver:
Since you will be committing your family member to a stranger, endeavor to know who the person behind the potential caregiver is before hiring him or her to takeover that role. Although caregivers on the payroll of the government usually go through a criminal background test before they are employed, you shouldn’t base your decision on what you have in the records. Someone may not have been convicted of a crime, but what about some petty crimes that may endanger the life of the patient? For instance, does the caregiver have a record of drinking or under the influence of drugs or alcohol? Has he ever been guilty of driving without insurance cover or a driver’s license? Those seemingly insignificant details may reveal more about the caregiver than what you can see in his or her professional record.
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