Dementia is a fast growing problem in the United States. Over 5 million people have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease here, and this is just one form of dementia that exists. As the population gets older and older, extra safeguards will be needed to protect people with dementia. Until a cure is found for diseases like Alzheimer’s, better care is needed to ensure that those suffering from this can be kept as safe and happy as possible.
Care is a necessity, but it needs to be quality care if the elderly are going to benefit from it. In-home care is a great way to provide care, but you need to make sure that if you decide that this is the best route for your elderly loved one that you are going with the best caregiver that you can find. This means going with a professional service provider, and not an independent–or, freelance–caregiver.
What are the qualifications of a good caregiver, though? There are several traits that are universally recognized to be necessary in order to provide the highest level of care to seniors in need. These are: Experience, Compassion, Safeguards, and Support.
Experience
Your caregiver should not be new to this. They should have a firm grasp of what they are doing, the most practical ways to adapt care to fit individual needs, and they should have the ability to act quickly and correctly in the event of an emergency. They need the proper training, and they need plenty of practical on the job experience. You do not want someone that has only textbook knowledge, after all. This is someone that you love we are talking about.
Compassion
Your caregiver needs to have a love for others. While they are helping your elderly mom or dad, the needs of others should always be put first. This is the passion and the drive that keeps a caregiver coming back day after day, and it goes a long way toward making sure that they do the best job that they can do, too. It’s what makes a top caregiver a unique type of personality.
Safeguards
This is one of the things that separate individual caregivers from those employed with a professional service. Services often have safeguards in place to keep the people they serve safe. This includes insurance, being bonded, and having thorough background checks in place well before they are entrusted to care for others.
Support
Even the best caregiver in the world cannot do it alone. Caregiver support is an integral part of any service, and this goes for professionals and family caregivers–and everyone in between. A break is necessary once in a while in order to avoid burnout. If you are helping a loved one, you need to plan for breaks once in a while if you want to keep giving them the best. If you have a pro helping out, they will need a vacation once in a while. This keeps the caregiver fresh at at their best while they are with your loved one.
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