Have you ever wondered what an in-home caregiver does? Like many other jobs, there is a routine that needs to be followed and a large set of skills that needs to be continuously refined. But unlike a lot of other jobs, many people outside of the profession don’t know much about what it’s like to be a professional caregiver.
When an in-home caregiver is hired, they are hired because they have the right personality and experience to help other people. Before a caregiver is sent to your home, our service matches the caregivers that we have available to the specific needs that your family has. It’s not a perfect process, but it’s a very accurate one. So, before your caregiver ever arrives, you can be assured that they are a good fit for your family.
The first thing the caregiver does is assess the situation. This is true on day one–and every day afterwards. Even though things tend to be the same from day to day, they aren’t always. Something may have changed overnight, medications may have changed at a recent doctor’s appointment, or a variety of other things. Knowing what is going on is an important part of keeping someone safe.
There are daily tasks that need to be done by the caregiver. Medications must be administered and properly tracked. Your family might already have a system for making sure that nothing is overlooked here, and if so, the caregiver will stick to this. But, they also have a protocol that their company has them follow, too. If you don’t already have a standard for managing meds, they can help you set one up.
That’s not the only daily task, though. They have meals to prepare, things to tidy up, and a bathroom schedule to help their client keep. They might help out with bathing or grooming, depending on the day. Some caregivers help with transportation to and from the store or religious services. These things can be easily overlooked, but they’re important to the person being cared for, so they are important to the caregiver.
But it’s the downtime that makes the difference between a good caregiver and a great one. It’s during that downtime that bonds are forged. It’s where companionship is found and where friendships are born. When the caregiver doesn’t treat the person that they are helping as a job or task, but rather as a person–great care is achieved. It is this that we strive for on a daily basis with the people that we work with.
And, throughout all of the time that this is going on, the caregiver is on the lookout for signs of other health issues. The warning signs of stroke, heart attack, and injury are always in the back of the caregiver’s mind. More subtle things, like dementia and diabetes, are also there. Hopefully these issues never manifest, but if they do, the caregiver is probably going to be the person that spots them first. Quick thinking and action might be what’s needed for a full recovery. It might save someone’s life.
It’s not easy being a caregiver. Even professionals deal with the stress and complications that family caregivers experience. One of the joys of this profession is that close emotional bonds are made. Seeing someone that you care about suffer from failing health, disability, and the turmoil that this creates is not easy. But being a caregiver is an important job, and having the background to handle such stress in a professional and helpful manner is important.
This is what we do. We not only employ professionals, but we give them the tools and knowledge needed to keep doing what they do. It’s not an easy job, but we give each of our employees the very best that we can. It helps ensure that they can continue to do what they do to the very best of their ability. And when our caregivers are treated well, the families that they serve are given the same.
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