Choosing the Right Caregiver

As seniors age it becomes harder for them to maintain their independence. There may come a time when they require assistance with daily activities. When this time approaches it is important to find a caregiver that your family can trust with your loved one. Deciding between private care, a home care agency, or an assisted living home is a big decision. This article will outline a few of the things that need to be considered when choosing the right caregiver for your family member. Thorough background checks and research for both agencies and private care are recommended, as well as ensuring your new chosen caregiver has the right traits like reliability, clear communication skills, and the ability to be detail oriented.

The Right Skill Set 

When looking into hiring a caregiver it is important to make sure they have the right skill set for caring for your loved one. Establishing the skills you are looking for from the beginning of the hiring process helps potential caregivers to know what the expectations are right from the beginning. Having open, clear lines of communication – even during the hiring process – will help with maintaining ongoing communication between the caregiver, family members, and doctors. Choosing someone that is good at communicating is important as they will likely be the person of contact for doctors and family members. 

The person you choose should not only be able to communicate clearly and be organized, but also be detail oriented. It is important that nothing slips through the cracks when it comes to being a caregiver for another person. As people age, health issues can become more common. A caregiver should make note of any health changes and remember to mention them to family members and health care providers. Being detail oriented is also important for keeping track of the person’s appointments and social calendars in order to relieve the family’s stress and help the older adult maintain their life. 

Reliability

Reliability also is an important trait when managing another person’s calendar. Caregivers must be reliable, as they are the person responsible for getting the senior in their care to appointments and also helping them maintain their social calendar. They should be able to coordinate multiple appointments and social engagements without overwhelming the older adult. This person should become a reliable source of information for family members and be able to maintain a constant line of communication. Being able to manage all of this requires someone who is reliable, on-time, and able to organize multiple things at once. 

Organization or Private Care

There are many options when it comes to choosing the right caregiver for your family member. Making the decision of choosing between a care agency and private care options can be difficult as there are many factors to consider such as cost, experience, and the various patient requirements. 

Home care organizations may be more expensive (this can vary), but there is likely to be more information available regarding their experience and previous patient reviews. This makes the overall hiring process a lot easier because the information is readily available. Care organizations are more likely to have a wider variety of care options and licenses based on the person’s needs. This is beneficial because as a senior’s needs change, they may require more extensive care. Having an organization’s care options already available makes transitioning care easier. There are also more safeguards in place with organizations. If the caregiver scheduled for certain days is unable to make it, another caregiver can be assigned quickly by the organization. 

Private care options allow families to have more of a relationship with the caregiver that they choose. Private caregivers can be more flexible and offer more specific services based on the needs of the older adult in your family as they are the person that will be with your loved one on a consistent schedule. The process of hiring private care can be more involved due to the chance that more research will be involved in the overall hiring process. Information about the person may not be as readily available as it would be for an organization. 

Trust 

The person your family chooses must be trustworthy, as this is the person that will be responsible for managing your loved one’s daily life. If the relationship starts on a foundation of trust it makes it easier to have clear lines of communication for everyone involved. Determining a person’s trustworthiness is difficult, however if they have references and reviews from previous experience this makes it a little easier. 

There is nothing wrong with suggesting a trial period to ensure that the person chosen fits the family’s needs and to see how the senior connects with their new caregivers. Allowing the senior to have a say also helps them maintain their independence and allows them to be their own advocate. A trial period can help take the pressure off of making a final decision before confirming if the person is the right fit. 

Background Checks and References

Conducting background checks and looking into all of the potential caregiver’s references is imperative when trying to decide which caregiver to go with. Making sure that the person is being fully transparent about their experience and abilities to care for your family member is a first step to confirming their trustworthiness. Ask for multiple references, letters of recommendation, proof of residency status, confirm a clean criminal record, and check credentials. Agencies should have all of this information on file, making it easier to confirm all of the information. If you are going to be working with private care, you will need to run your own background check which can be done through the local courts or state police. 

How UDS Can Help

It is imperative that all of these elements are taken into account when searching for a caregiver for your loved one. It is also a good practice to introduce the caregiver to your loved one prior to hiring to ensure that they have a good relationship with the person and to make sure that they feel included in the process. UDS offers job opportunities for people looking to make a difference in a person’s life by taking on the role of a caregiver. We pride ourselves in being with you every step of the way, and making ourselves available for any questions and guidance. For more information, please contact us and fill out your information to learn more about our services.