Age comes with limitations on how many tasks and activities you can handle. Additionally, the older you get, the harder it becomes to fully take care of yourself due to illnesses and reduced energy. Sometimes it can even be normal to forget to take medications and other simple duties. In such instances, it is only fair to get a caregiver who can assist you navigate through your daily life or that of your loved one.
A caregiver helps you clean the house, make trips to the grocery store for a loved one, assist with the procedures when paying bills, and accompany you to the doctor's appointment. Caregivers will also give a guide when taking medication and hygiene routines. With a caregiver, your loved one can live an everyday life at their usual home without you having to worry when running other tasks away from home.
Characteristics of A Good Caregiver
Good Communicator
A good caregiver must have good communication skills and be attentive when listening to the needs of your loved one. Listening and conveying clear messages will improve trust and make the caregiving job more manageable. Additionally, good communication skills can aid in following instructions accurately since they understand what is required.
Trustworthy and Confidential
An essential characteristic of a caregiver is the ability to keep the patients' secrets and personal information. Since the caregiver lives in the house, they will get to know many private and crucial information about the family. It is best to have a confidential caregiver so that the personal data can remain unknown to the public.
Strong and Physically Fit
The primary role of a caregiver is to take care of your loved ones and assist them in running errands and completing tasks they cannot do on their own. Hence, it is best that the caregiver is physically fit and strong to offer maximum support. Older loved ones might require assistance when getting out of bed, taking a walk, or moving from one room to another or ward.
Ability and Knowledge to interpret Health Signs
Due to old age, some patients might have dementia and thus cannot read health apparatus like thermometers or even forget when to take medication. For the patient to take the correct dose of the medicine that the doctor indicates, basic knowledge is required to administer the correct dosage at the right time.
Before You Hire A Caregiver, Consider the Following;
Location
You can get referrals of caregivers from close friends and relatives, but unfortunately, they might live far away. Getting to your loved one's location might involve commuting, which is time-consuming. Hence, if you are near or in Hopkinsville, checkout home care providers like Senior Helpers. Getting an agency close to you will save time on the many trips you have to make to different agencies.
Skillset and Professionalism
A caregiver requires skills like simple housekeeping know-how to help the elderly in daily hygiene and taking care of the rooms. Additionally, having skills like how to perform CPR is an added advantage for in-home care for your elderly parent.
Availability and Cost
Some caregivers might be committed elsewhere and thus might interfere with your schedule. Therefore, it is in your best interest to check on the availability of the caregiver for the in-home senior care. It might not be other jobs they are handling, but maybe attending classes to better their skills. Check out the wage guidelines provided by authorities in areas like Murray and Paducah so that you can be in a position to negotiate fair wages.
By hiring a caregiver, you will have peace of mind that your parent is safe and has someone taking care of them. Additionally, the older loved one can enjoy independence while receiving daily help in their own house. The occurrence of common injuries and falls will reduce when the caregiver is around to assist in running everyday activities.
At Senior Helpers, we offer all the above benefits and more. If you are within Madisonville, Hopkinsville, Paducah, and Murray, contact us to book an appointment. We will guide you, schedule an in-home assessment, and assign the best caregiver based on their professional skills, experience, and empathy towards the senior loved ones.