You love your elderly family member and wish you could personally care for them 24/7. But daily life and obligations won’t let you do so. Between work, taking care of children, and maybe even trying to wrap up a degree program, you’re already stretched thin. And you can’t help but feel a twinge of regret, guilt, frustration, and helplessness. You need to hire a caregiver that will help you and allow to have needed assistance for elderly peoples. The responsibility of caring for a loved one doesn’t have to rest squarely on your shoulders. Instead, you can hire a caregiver to provide your loved one with the care and attention they desperately need. In this article, we will cover 4 must-have qualities for caregivers.
How Will You Know That You Have Chosen The Right Caregiver?
Here’s a rundown on four must-have qualities for caregivers.
1. Compassion
One of the most important qualities to look for in a caregiver is compassion. It’s paramount that the caregiver you hire for your loved one actually cares about them. Otherwise, the care that he or she delivers will likely be subpar and unfortunately not meet your loved one’s needs.
To ensure that you choose a compassionate caregiver, ask your caregiver candidates why they chose to become a home care provider. In addition, during your interviews with providers of caregiving services, make sure that they exhibit nurturing, caring personalities. The empathy they have for older patients should be evident in the way they speak and carry themselves as well.
2.Patience
Your chosen caregiver also needs to be extremely patient. This is critical because caregiving can be an exhausting and challenging profession. As not all days will go exactly as planned. Some days, the patient might not feel well, or they might not understand what is happening to or around them. As a result, they might feel anxious and hesitate to cooperate with the caregiver. In fact, in a tough situation, your family member might resist the caregiver’s genuine efforts to help him or her.
Some tasks that are simple, everyday realities for the more physically able can be challenging, laborious, and uncomfortable for elderly patients. Professional caregivers need to be willing to navigate the most challenging moments with calm and focus. The right caregiver will be able to understand the patient’s point of view, empathize with them, and treat them with dignity and respect every time.
3.Reliability
The caregiver you select for your family member must also be highly dependable. It’s crucial that your loved one’s caregiver shows up on time each day and adheres to deadlines. The caregiver must also be able to track important details effectively.
As an example, your elderly family member might need to have medications administered at certain times of the day. The right caregiver will ensure that these small, but critical tasks are completed on a regular basis.
On top of this, worthwhile caregivers will be able to carry out their responsibilities even if they haven’t had the best day or week at home themselves. A caregiver who is inclined to bring his or her personal problems or drama to your senior family member’s home is not a good fit. Instead, caregivers should be able to behave professionally every time he or she steps foot in your loved one’s home.
All in all, reputable caregivers must be able to provide high levels of care to their clients each and every time and do what is necessary to protect your loved one.
4.Attentiveness
It’s also paramount that caregivers pay close and careful attention to their patients, just as you would to your own elderly family member. This is important because they must be able to determine if at any time the patient’s mental or physical conditions have changed.
For instance, has your senior family member’s body temperature suddenly risen? Or, are they starting to eat less? Has their mood changed within the past couple of days? These symptoms may be pointing to a viral illness, throat or jaw pain, or an onset of depression, which is common with seniors. These are details that any credible caregiver should be able to catch on to so that necessary steps can be taken by them or by the patient’s healthcare provider to make sure that they can remain as healthy and happy as possible.
Being attentive also means knowing when to engage and when it’s best to give the client some privacy and space. When it comes to pastimes, the caregiver should be willing to take part in activities. In which both have an interest like TV shows and listening to music. This is another area where patience comes in – the caregiver must be willing to slow down and move at the client’s pace, not his or her own pace.
5.Trustworthiness
Finally, the caregiver you select for your elderly loved one needs to be trustworthy. After all, you are letting this person access your loved one’s home, and that includes all of the personal information and valuables in the home. Make sure that your chosen caregiver is one with whom you feel comfortable leaving your family member. This person needs to be respectful of your loved one and their property, and he or she must be honest in their dealings with both you and your family member.
This person should also have some hands-on experience in the field. In fact, it may behoove you to look for a caregiver who is certified as a home care aide. Note that caregivers who lack experience but are hired by a reputable company may be required to complete an in-house training program before being assigned to clients.
One way to make sure that your chosen caregiver is trustworthy is to run a background check on him or her, and most are more than willing.
You may also want to verify these individuals’ certifications, references, education, and experience. Likewise, consider monitoring these caregivers’ internet presence for any red flags. For instance, check out their social media websites to see the type of content they are posting.
Choose the Perfect Caregiver for Your Loved One Today
When you enlist the help of a caregiver for a loved one, you essentially gain another set of hands—and ones that are completely qualified to care for your loved one. As a result, your elderly family member will receive the quality care she needs. In addition, you’ll receive a much-needed break yet feel at peace when you’re away from them, knowing that they’ll be in good hands.
Your choice of caregiver is a crucial one—a decision that you should not take lightly. That’s because your loved one’s caregiver should have the right experience and background in addition to having the heart to help the elderly.
Be sure to look for a caregiver with the abovementioned qualities so that both you and your loved one can breathe a little easier and live a little better in the days, weeks, and months ahead.