Hiring a helper to perform any home care service is a very important part of the care process, and it’s worth taking the time to get it right. Don’t just hire the first person to introduce yourself.
Elderly home care includes a caregiver who comes to the home to help older loved ones with whatever they may need. An assistant can help with cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping and errands. They may even spend time with their elders, chatting, playing cards or watching a movie so they don’t feel lonely. You can hire an assistant as much or as little as you need, depending on how much you can do yourself and how much your family and / or friends will help you. For other needs, such as taking medication, you can ask the nurse to come once a week to take care of dispensing the medication. Alternatively, you can ask your helper to help you prepare a meal or arrange a food delivery service.
Your assistant should be well differentiated from your senior. In the end, they will spend countless hours together. At best, the helper can become a new member of your family. Be clear about the home care services you expect from the helper. Before the interview, find out when the work will start, how many hours you will need to work, and what specific work you will be doing. Also, prioritize any additional requirements you may have. Is the service staff obliged to be non-smokers? Does the helper have allergies that may interfere with their work? Does the assistant understand your elderly person’s dietary needs?
Ask about their education, training, and previous work. Ask about their strengths and weaknesses. I always check at least three links. Also, if they come from a home care agency, I speak with their supervisor as they can also enter the home. I suggest hiring someone who has experience with elders, someone who truly understands how to keep their elder’s dignity and pride intact over time. Your elder is someone who still needs kindness and still needs to be spoken to like an adult.
If your older person requires a higher level of care, you can hire a specially trained helper to help him or her move, bathe, dress and eat. If you need 24/7 home care for the elderly, you may want to consider having an assistant at home. Sounds like an expensive option, but it may end up being more profitable than migrating them to a care system, and they can maintain the ease and comfort of being in their own environment.
It’s also important that the helper knows how to cook, and I’m not talking about heating the jar on the stove or putting something in the microwave. Fresh foods are more nutritious, and cooking them in an elder’s home can create odors and feelings of comfort that can trigger positive memories. Before hiring someone to provide home care services as indicated by Homecare articles, be sure to take a senior’s opinion into account to determine if a helper is right for you. Once you’ve hired an assistant, include a daily orientation fee. Try to set up a daily and weekly routine right away so that everyone can get started on the right job, sticking to a sequence and routine.
