If you do choose in-home care for your older parents or grandparents, it’s important that you know what you are getting from the caregiver that comes into your home. While it’s impossible to be one hundred percent positive that you are making the right choice, there are things that you can do to make sure that things go as smoothly as possible. Here’s a quick checklist of the three most important tips to follow when selecting a caregiver.
- Make sure that they are responsible. Again, there’s no foolproof way to determine this, but you can use the past to help determine the future here. For example, make sure that a background check has been run. The service that employs them should have handled this, so consult with them first. This will make sure that there are no major blemishes on their history, such as a criminal record that might imply future problems. Also, check out their experience. Someone who has provided senior care in the past successfully is more likely to do it again than someone who has had issues in the past or has no experience at all. As a type of safety net, you may also want to see if their company has insured and bonded them. Hopefully these things will never be needed, but if something does happen, there is at least an extra layer of protection to fall back on.
- Make sure that they are skilled. Experience is a must in this field. You want someone who knows what they are doing, and that doesn’t mean just the basics. You want someone that can do their job, and do it well, even if there was a major crisis or emergency to deal with. Training is a good plus, but nothing teaches like hands on experience. The company that employs them should provide this, and if they don’t, they might not be the best choice for your family’s needs.
- Make sure that they are loving. Love, compassion, caring, and nurturing are all must-have traits in an in-home caregiver. Almost anyone can learn the technical skills needed to provide help around the house. But not many people can do it with that little something extra that changes adequate care into great care. This is what separates a good caregiver from the best caregivers. If they are loving, then you know that they will always act with the person that they are caring for’s interests above their own. This lessens the chances of something unfortunate happening.
None of these things are guarantees that something won’t happen, but they do significantly improve your chances of finding exceptional in-home care. When you do decide that it’s time for your mom or dad to transition away from a family caregiver and to a professional caregiver to help them through the day, this quick checklist will help you to make a better, more informed decision about what’s best for them and the rest of your family. Hopefully it will help you to avoid problems and save time down the road, too.
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