Top 5 Decisions Pertaining To Home Care
Hiring a caregiver for your loved one is not as easy as 1, 2, 3.
In truth, most seniors who are new to caregiving will not be that receptive of the idea at first.
Anyone of us will actually feel a little bit anxious specially if the caregiver is not family, but a stranger that you just met.
To make sure that everything will go well, you should take things one step at a time, plan, organize and make decisions that will affect how home care will impact your loved one's life.
So what are the crucial points that you need to consider before going for home care? 1.
The Patient's Choice As family members, we always want to provide what is best for our seniors.
Most people go for home care as it is a set up that provides more independence to our elderly loved ones while ensuring that they are well taken care of, safe and able to live their lives as normal as they can.
However, we should always take into account the caree or the patient's choice or decision regarding this kind of set up.
The law concedes and acknowledges the rights of the elderly concerning healthcare.
So make sure that you explain to your elders the need for home care in a way that is not offending, intimidating nor degrading to them.
Good communication and proper explanation of this matter will let them understand how important it is for them as the patient and for you as a family member.
In cases where in there is incapacity to make decisions for themselves, as those patients with dementia or Alzheimer's, most states have directives or laws about healthcare that should be followed by family members.
2.
Home Care Services Breakdown Once a decision to push through with home care has been made by the family members and the patient, proper breakdown of the patient's needs should be done.
Some elders need more help than others.
Some need assistance only in everyday activities like eating, cooking, bathing, dressing up and the like.
Others also need medical monitoring like checking of vital stats, supervising medicine intake and going to doctor's appointments.
Decide what kinds of assistance should be prioritized and lay everything down on the table for your elder to see.
This list should also be showed to the soon-to-be caregiver before hiring him or her to set expectations.
3.
The Caregiver There are a lot of caregivers out there.
There are carers who have taken basic caregiving courses.
There are also Licensed Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses.
There are caregivers who have undergone advanced medical or critical care trainings and those who are expert First Aid providers.
Depending on your elder's needs, what do you think is the best caregiver for you and your family? Decide and choose someone whose skills will keep your loved one safe and well.
4.
In-Home versus Out-Of-Home There are two set up options for your home caregiver: in-home and out-of-home.
You should decide if the carer should stay with the patient in the house or if the carer should just drop by in specific hours of the day.
In-home care is chosen by family members who usually don't live with their seniors or those who are always too busy to be with their elders 24/7.
This is also good for patients with medical conditions that require constant supervision.
Out-of-home care on the other hand, is preferred by family members who just need someone to be with their loved ones while they are at work or while they are away.
Decide what's going to work for your family between these two options depending of course, on your situation and the patient's needs as well.
5.
Agency To Trust or Individual Provider When you are ready to hire a caregiver, research and think hard.
Are you going to hire an individual provider or hire someone from an agency? Individual providers or those who don't work under the supervision of an agency or company are okay as long as they have been referred by friend or if you know the carer personally.
In most cases, families go for agencies as these institutions strictly follow standards and make sure that their staff has proper training and certification.
They also offer background checks or references to assure families that the person you'll entrust your loved one's life with is professional, respectful and efficient.
In truth, most seniors who are new to caregiving will not be that receptive of the idea at first.
Anyone of us will actually feel a little bit anxious specially if the caregiver is not family, but a stranger that you just met.
To make sure that everything will go well, you should take things one step at a time, plan, organize and make decisions that will affect how home care will impact your loved one's life.
So what are the crucial points that you need to consider before going for home care? 1.
The Patient's Choice As family members, we always want to provide what is best for our seniors.
Most people go for home care as it is a set up that provides more independence to our elderly loved ones while ensuring that they are well taken care of, safe and able to live their lives as normal as they can.
However, we should always take into account the caree or the patient's choice or decision regarding this kind of set up.
The law concedes and acknowledges the rights of the elderly concerning healthcare.
So make sure that you explain to your elders the need for home care in a way that is not offending, intimidating nor degrading to them.
Good communication and proper explanation of this matter will let them understand how important it is for them as the patient and for you as a family member.
In cases where in there is incapacity to make decisions for themselves, as those patients with dementia or Alzheimer's, most states have directives or laws about healthcare that should be followed by family members.
2.
Home Care Services Breakdown Once a decision to push through with home care has been made by the family members and the patient, proper breakdown of the patient's needs should be done.
Some elders need more help than others.
Some need assistance only in everyday activities like eating, cooking, bathing, dressing up and the like.
Others also need medical monitoring like checking of vital stats, supervising medicine intake and going to doctor's appointments.
Decide what kinds of assistance should be prioritized and lay everything down on the table for your elder to see.
This list should also be showed to the soon-to-be caregiver before hiring him or her to set expectations.
3.
The Caregiver There are a lot of caregivers out there.
There are carers who have taken basic caregiving courses.
There are also Licensed Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses.
There are caregivers who have undergone advanced medical or critical care trainings and those who are expert First Aid providers.
Depending on your elder's needs, what do you think is the best caregiver for you and your family? Decide and choose someone whose skills will keep your loved one safe and well.
4.
In-Home versus Out-Of-Home There are two set up options for your home caregiver: in-home and out-of-home.
You should decide if the carer should stay with the patient in the house or if the carer should just drop by in specific hours of the day.
In-home care is chosen by family members who usually don't live with their seniors or those who are always too busy to be with their elders 24/7.
This is also good for patients with medical conditions that require constant supervision.
Out-of-home care on the other hand, is preferred by family members who just need someone to be with their loved ones while they are at work or while they are away.
Decide what's going to work for your family between these two options depending of course, on your situation and the patient's needs as well.
5.
Agency To Trust or Individual Provider When you are ready to hire a caregiver, research and think hard.
Are you going to hire an individual provider or hire someone from an agency? Individual providers or those who don't work under the supervision of an agency or company are okay as long as they have been referred by friend or if you know the carer personally.
In most cases, families go for agencies as these institutions strictly follow standards and make sure that their staff has proper training and certification.
They also offer background checks or references to assure families that the person you'll entrust your loved one's life with is professional, respectful and efficient.
