It is a big decision, since this is someone that will be spending time alone with your loved one, and will ideally be contributing to their improved quality of life.
For these reasons you want to find a caregiver that is not only effective, but also trustworthy.
It can be difficult to find someone you can trust, especially if you are doing it privately and handling all the interviewing and investigating yourself.
Going with a professional home care agency, like Affinity Health Ottawa, can help take some of the stress and worry out of finding a compatible caregiver.
Affinity Health Ottawa will have already done all the reference and background checks for you, for all of their caregivers. Plus, caregivers have been chosen based on qualifications, experience, and suitable personality.
This means, that they have a variety of quality caregivers at their disposal, to provide your loved one with an optimal match.
Tips for Finding the Right Caregiver
There are several tips and suggestions available that can help you prepare for home care, and find a suitable caregiver for your loved one.
Here are some things you might do in advance to become more familiar with home care practices.
Make a list of Home Care Needs
A good starting point is to make notes about what kind of tasks and activities your loved one could use some assistance with.
For example, maybe they could use some help with household chores, and general home maintenance. Perhaps help is needed with personal hygiene and bathroom assistance. It could be that your loved one needs help recovering from illness or injury, or managing medications.
Caregivers have different areas of specialty, so it is good to know in advance exactly what you are looking for.
How much home care assistance is needed?
It can be useful to consider all your home care resources to get a better idea of just how much professional assistance will be required.
Take stock of all family members willing to pitch in, and what can be realistically expected from each.
This may provide a clearer picture of what is needed from a professional caregiver.
Maybe they only need to come in once or twice a week to help out, or maybe more consistent care is required.
Prepare some Questions in Advance
Asking specific questions about any concerns you may have is very helpful in arriving at a compatible caregiver match.
You may want to ask the home care agency how they handle emergencies. Or how caregivers might handle obstinate or combative personalities.
Not all seniors are open and accommodating to a new home care situation, so it is important to know how caregivers handle adversity.
Talk to your Loved One
It can be a difficult discussion to initiate, as it is not always easy for seniors to admit help is needed. Accepting help might be seen as weakness, or giving up independence.
In reality, the opposite is true. Getting the right caregiver assistance can help seniors retain their independence and improve physical, mental, and emotional strength.
Useful Traits in a Caregiver
There are certain personality traits that help make a good caregiver, and you can decide which characteristics are most important to you.
Some common traits in an effective caregiver, might be:
- Passion
- Flexibility
- Trustworthy
Passion
Ideally, you want to find a caregiver that is in for more than just the financial compensation.
Someone who really cares about helping others is a highly sought trait in a caregiver. Providing effective care is not an easy task, and someone who is dedicated to make a difference will be able to overcome challenges and complications that may arise.
Flexibility
Home care needs can change at any time, so you want to deal with a home care agency that is flexible to change.
Unexpected issues come up all the time in a home care situation, caregivers need to be adaptable enough to handle problems calmly and effectively.
Trustworthy
Trust is essential in order to establish a good relationship between your loved one and their caregiver.
A trustworthy caregiver will show up for every shift on time and ready to give 100%. Previous experience can help shed some light on the potential trustworthiness of a caregiver.
