Crystal Alexander, Human Resources Director for Absolute Home Care in Idaho Falls, Idaho shares some helpful information to help family members choose a caregiver for their loved one. Her advice applies to both independent caregivers and caregivers hired though a home care agency.

Caregivers with Integrity

When choosing a caregiver it is important to look for someone you really feel is trustworthy; someone who will tell you when they make a mistake or when anything goes wrong. Ask the caregiver directly how they will handle specific scenarios when things do go awry. Finally, you want someone you can trust to tell you what is really going on with your loved one in your absence.

Genuine Concern for your Loved One

Sincerely caring about the comfort and well being of others is a pre-requisite to ensuring the caregiver will be a good match for your loved one. Look for a caregiver who shows genuine interest and concern, by both asking questions about the your loved one and listening to the information you provide.

Perceptive and Intuitive, with Appropriate Boundaries

Just because you are not hiring a nurse does not mean your caregiver won’t need to detect subtle changes in your loved one’s condition. A quality caregiver will be attentive to these changes and will seek to have them addressed. At the same time they also need to know when to show restraint, for example to redirect a senior who is becoming anxious or preoccupied towards a more positive activity.

Health and Safety

Your caregiver should be current in their CPR certification. They should understand basic hygiene and infection control procedures. Ask what types of continuing education activities the caregiver engages in. Is the caregiver able to provide you with a current negative Tuberculosis screen, or doctor’s statement that they are currently clear of this disease?

Does/Is the caregiver:

• Dress neatly and appropriately?
• Wear sensible footwear?
• Keep their fingernails trimmed short? (to avoid nicking a clients sensitive skin).
• Free of strong perfumes?
• Ask about safety equipment and protocol in the home?
• Inquire about where the emergency phone numbers are kept?

A quality provider is first and foremost concerned with their client’s safety, and will ask questions to ensure they have necessary information to keep their client safe.

Sense of Humor and Positive Outlook

A caregiver who has a sense of humor and positive outlook on life is going to be uplifting to be around, and better able to handle stress. Caregivers develop close relationships with clients, so a caregiver who focusses on the positive will have a positive influence on your loved one’s well being. Look for a candidate who does not talk about their personal problems.

Caregiver Support Structure and Self-Care

Caregiving can be stressful. It is important that your caregiver have a support system of his or her own. Things to know in advance are whether the caregiver has supportive ties to the community, be it family, friends, church, school, or other involvement. You also want to look for indications that your caregiver takes good care of their personal well being. Are they well groomed? Organized? Do they seem stressed, late, or hurried?
A caregiver who is not meeting their own needs is going to be hard pressed to provide quality care to others.

Caregiver Background Screen

Your caregiver should be able to provide you with an employment history which includes current contact information for current and past employers, and you should contact each and every one. Gaps in employment should have a logical explanation.

Sometimes an employer is precluded from giving you anything more than a confirmation of dates worked, however if you explain to the employer that the applicant will be working in the home with an elderly or disabled client and you need to know if they would be considered safe you will get them to open up a bit and give you more information.

Obtaining a thorough FBI background check can provide you with critical information about a caregiver. Supplement this with a search of your state’s court repository as well as a department of motor vehicles driving record. Don’t forget to include other states the caregiver has resided in.

Remember, criminal records only reflect activity that was detected by law enforcement, so trust your instincts even in the absence of a criminal history!

Just as important as the contents of a caregivers criminal history is their truthful disclosure of anything you might find. Try to get ahold of the criminal record clearance from your local department of health and welfare; compare this to their job application. Check to see if any crimes are listed on the clearance letter and whether the caregiver disclosed those crimes at the time of their application for fingerprinting.

Be sensitive to the embarrassing nature of past criminal conduct, and allow the caregiver the opportunity to disclose any such information by asking directly about any history, what they learned from it, and how they changed as a result. Being able to learn from past mistakes is a valuable trait.

Hiring a caregiver is not the time to be shy or polite. Be prepared to ask the difficult questions. You have a right to know the answers!

If you would like assistance or more information you can always call us at 1.866.775.0028, visit our Senior Home Care Agency Directory, or fill out this simple online form. Get Help Now!

Therea Phillips, Client Care Manager for All Valley Senior Home Care in Walnut Creek, California shares some tips about what to do when an adult child caregiver’s elderly parents refuse outside help.

As our parents age we walk a fine line between making sure that they are taken care of and taking away their independence. All of a sudden children are now in the position of protecting their parents. They find themselves in a position of ensuring their parents environment is safe but also respecting their choices and decisions that they are still able to make. Unfortunately, if their parents are no longer able to make these important decisions it then can become a war of wills with elderly parents making their children feel guilty.

Understanding Why Parents Refuse Assistance

What has to be understood is some of the reasons why an elderly parent may act out and refuse assistance. It could be behind loss; The loss of a spouse or other family members, the loss of their independence, or it could be the loss of their youth and of feeling healthy and happy. Some of the defiance of accepting help could just be plain anger. The human nature of wanting and needing to blame someone else when things are going bad. It could also be the realization that they are sick and just can’t do the things they used to be able to.

The dynamics of a family of an elderly parent could have been years in the making. Sometimes guilt is a part of the family make up before the situation occurred that caused the need for help. When children and even non-family members become caregivers of elderly loved ones, they have to understand how that elderly person is feeling.

Many elderly women where brought up an era where they married, had having children and lived her whole life taking care of her home, her children and her husband. She has been brought up in an era where that is what the woman did and no one did that for her. Now to bring a stranger in to take care of her, her home and even sometimes to take care of her husband it is seen as a threat.

Many elderly men have been brought up in an era where men were men. He was strong and independent. He was the bread winner, he took care of his family and made sure his family was safe. Now, there is someone coming into his home taking that away from him. He can feel in his own body that he doesn’t have the strength to take care of his family anymore and he can’t keep them safe, which can be very disheartening for him.

Approaching Your Elderly Parent

Every family is different but for the most part a lot of families were structured in this way when current generation of elderly people where younger. Unfortunately, sometimes just like their elderly parents had to do with them, adult children may have to put their foot down for the best interest and safety of their parents.

Approaching a loved one about needing help can be very uncomfortable to say the least. Here are some tips that can make the conversation go smoothly:

• Have a meeting with siblings if there are any. Discuss what the outcome of the meeting will be. If the concerns are not urgent, then it is okay to say that; likewise, if the concerns are urgent it needs to be stated.
• When speaking to aging parents it is best to focus on what they can still do, not what they can’t do.
• Encourage your parents to continue doing what they can do, and to accept help with tasks they cannot do.
• Timing of the conversation is crucial. Do not wait until there is a crisis to have the discussions. Trying to force a decision immediately seldom works. It is best to put a deadline on the calendar to come back and re-visit the discussion allowing time to process the information.
• All family members need to be in “the same mind” for this discussion. If other family members are not in agreement, these members will work to undermine the efforts of others. To bring everyone to a single mindedness, family members can meet beforehand to discuss their feelings. If need be, third party can mediate this meeting to keep emotions in check.

Starting Senior Home Care Services

When you start senior home care services you will be bringing in a non-family caregiver; It is important to understand that if your parent acts up with the family member they may not necessarily act up with a non family caregiver. Also understand that in order to make the elderly parents environment safe and to make sure that you can take care of yourself an outside home care agency is sometimes needed and you should not feel guilty seeking their assistance.

The most important thing you can do is to be patient and understand that there has been a change in your love one’s life; Whether it is a loss of memory or having a life changing diagnosis. Look for senior home care agencies that help you understand your role as caregiver to your elderly parent or family member. Get help to learn to take care of yourself.

If you would like assistance or more information you can always call us at 1.866.775.0028, visit our Senior Home Care Agency Directory, or fill out this simple online form. Get Help Now!

Jenny Kim, Client Care Manager for All Valley Home Care in La Mesa, California shares caregiver support advice for family caregivers. As a senior home care services provider Jenny specializes in providing caregiver support.

Caring for a loved one with any kind of disabling condition will change the way families and their caregivers live their lives. It may have negative effects on those family members providing long-term care. Fortunately, there are many resources and options out there for family members to help alleviate stress. In California alone, there are eleven nonprofit Caregiver Resource Centers throughout the state that serve more than 14,000 families and caregivers of adults affected by chronic health conditions. First and foremost, when you are taking care of a loved one, you need to remember to take care of your own emotional and physical health.

Caregiver Support Groups

Coping and getting caregiver support comes in many different forms. This can include talking to your family, friends, or professionals, taking walks, or reading a book. Many caregivers tend to shut out friends and family and end up feeling isolated and as if no one understands what they’re going through. In this case, caregiver support groups are very important in that you’ll find others who are in similar situations. You can connect with fellow caregivers and it will give you a chance to vent and exchange ideas. When looking for caregiver support groups, remember the 3 C’s: comfort, convenience and confidentiality. You can always check out different caregiver support groups before you decide on the one that fits your personality and lifestyle. Caregiver support groups vary in size and purpose; some are geared towards specific illnesses like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, while others may be open to anyone caring for a parent or loved one, period. A good online resource you can utilize to find different types of support groups is the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging website.

Find Respite Care

No matter how fit and strong you think you are, caregiving can and will eventually take a toll on your body and mind. Respite care will provide you with a much needed break from your daily responsibilities. Respite care can mean anything from hiring a senior home care agency to take care of your loved one within the comfort of his or her home for a couple of hours to a social adult day care. There are many places you can go with your loved one where they can participate in arts and crafts or exercise classes while you attend a support group or just sit and eat lunch with other family caregivers. You may also have the option of doing some of the activities together. An excellent example of this is Circle of Care Leeza’s Place in Sherman Oaks, CA. Anyone taking care of a loved one diagnosed with a memory disorder is welcome to come and attend free programs that will provide them with insight and respite in a comfortable, intimate setting. Some activities that take place at this center are Memory Fitness, Chair Exercises, Tai Chi, Scrapbooking, and Caregiver and Parkinson’s Support groups. These types of centers can be found all over the U.S. and will provide you with both emotional and physical support.

Family caregiving is much more common than you think and there is a lot of help out there for you. There are a vast amount of online resources you can access by using a search engine like Google or Yahoo. A caregiver who takes care of herself or himself, physically & emotionally, will ultimately be a better caregiver to a loved one.

If you would like more assistance or information you can always call us at 1-866-273-2995, visit our Senior In-Home Care Agency Directory, or fill out this simple online form. Get Help Now!