Onboarding Your New Home Caregiver
In any new relationship, there is an adjustment period. A relationship between your senior loved one and a new caregiver is no different. It may take some time to develop. It can be a little awkward for your senior loved one and a new professional caregiver to get used to each other. A good and trusting relationship takes time to develop. But this is an integral part of your loved one’s life and hitting the ground running is essential. Follow these tips, and you can set the foundation for a successful and long-lasting connection.
Involve everyone in the family
Setting caregivers up for success starts before you meet them or contact a home care agency. This is a big decision in the life of your loved one and yours. This person will spend time alone with your senior in their home, so you need to gather the whole family or everyone involved in their care and include them in the decision. Then ask yourselves some questions:
What are your senior loved one’s home care needs?
Is it medical care? If so, in-home assistance may not be the right option. Does your loved one need a little help around the home with housework? Do they need support with personal care like bathing and getting dressed, or even just getting around the house? Does Mom or Dad require companionship? Isolation in seniors can often lead to further difficulties. Make a list of your loved one’s needs and be ready to share them with the agency so you can determine what kind of care you need.
How often does your loved one need in-home care?
Does Mom or Dad need someone to visit every day? Would a few hours a week be enough to help your loved one with what they need? Would morning shifts be more appropriate, or would it be better to schedule night visits?
Hiring a professional caregiver to help can give you a much-needed break. But leaving your loved one can give you a sense of guilt: It shouldn’t. Be honest with yourself about what you need and communicate your requirements to your family and home care agency.
Talk to Your Loved One
Remember that talking to an elderly loved one about bringing in a professional caregiver can be an emotive topic. Your mom or dad may be fiercely independent, and it can be hard to bring this person around to the idea of daily assistance. For more help, check out these tips on talking to a parent about care.
Consult the Professionals
Once you have worked out what your loved one’s requirements may be, it’s time to contact an agency. Agencies should offer a free consultation. They can talk to you about your loved one’s needs and whether they align with what the agency can offer. The agency should give you an estimate of the cost of home care services in Greater Boston, and they may also be able to provide you with some advice on options available for funding in-home care.
Choosing the Right Caregiver
Once you’ve identified an agency, here are questions to ask when considering a caregiver:
Is this caregiver’s personality compatible with your loved one?
Talk to the caregiver to assess — you know your loved one best. This will be an essential person in your loved one’s life, and ensuring compatibility is vital.
Do this caregiver’s skills and experience align with what your loved one needs?
If your loved one has dementia and one caregiver has professional training in caring for seniors with dementia, that’s a solid match. If you’re worried about your loved one falling, look for a caregiver with a fall-prevention qualification.
Does this caregiver’s availability match your loved one’s schedule?
Availability can easily be overlooked. If your loved one needs assistance in the morning and the caregiver only works evenings, that won’t work. If your loved one requires care five days a week and the caregiver is fully booked on three of those, you’ll need alternative options.
Develop a Home Care Plan
The best home care agencies will take your concerns and use them to build a care plan. Be clear about what you will be doing as a family and what you expect from this caregiver. Make sure everyone involved in support of the senior knows their role: If everyone knows their responsibilities, then you can ensure that your loved one’s care is as seamless as possible.
Introduce Your Loved One to the Caregiver
Arrange a meeting between your loved one and the caregiver. Be there to introduce them and to help them bond. When your loved one seems settled, leave them to get to know each other and go to the kitchen or somewhere else out of the room. Your loved one will know that you’re close if they are not comfortable, but you’ll also give them space to bond.
Communicate
Caring for your loved one is now a shared responsibility. It is essential to keep the agency and professional caregiver abreast of any changes you’ve seen in the health and behaviors of your loved one, and they should do the same with you. Take advantage of their training and experience: They may pick up on subtle differences you may not notice. That’s when you know you’ve genuinely retained superior home care.
If It’s Not Working, Act
Give it a short time and see how things go. Talk to your loved one. Is Mom or Dad happy? Are they receiving the help they need? If it’s not working out for your loved one, contact your care manager and discuss your concerns. There are times when a caregiver can be given additional training and guidance to improve their ability to provide the best support possible. Inform your care manager if a change in caregiver is clearly necessary so they can arrange to introduce someone new to your loved one, you, and your family. This could be a long-term relationship for your loved one, and it must be with the right person.
About Visiting Angels Newton/Canton
Visiting Angels Newton/Canton MA has been providing high-caliber in-home care services for seniors and people with disabilities for over eighteen years. Countless families have benefited from our private duty care, companion care, respite support, dementia and Alzheimer’s care, live-in and 24/7 home care, transitional aid, and home care services in Wellesley, Natick, Newton, Watertown, Brookline, Dedham, Needham, Stoughton, Canton, Jamaica Plain, Norwood, Roslindale, Upper Back Bay, Westwood, and neighboring communities. As a result of our exemplary home care service, Visiting Angels Newton/Canton has won the Best of Home Care Leader in Excellence Award; the Best of Home Care Provider of Choice Award; and the Best of Home Care Employer of Choice Award from the national client satisfaction survey firm, Home Care Pulse, for six years. We have been honored to receive the Boston Globe’s Top Places to Work award for seven years and one of the ten best places to work in Massachusetts in 2021 based on diversity and inclusion. Our dedicated and well-trained caregivers love their HHA jobs and CNA jobs.
