Now that you have come to a decision to hire a home care worker for your elderly loved one, you might feel a little lost or overwhelmed as to where to start and what you need to do next. Choosing the right caregiver for your family member is an important step and knowing that the right person is in your loved one’s home can be a huge stress relief for you. Here are a few things to consider and steps to take before you hire a home care worker for your loved one.
Think about what your loved one needs.
Everyone is faced with a unique situation and will have different needs, and to find the right home care worker you will need to have a good understanding of what your loved one’s needs are. Do they need help with basic functions (like bathing and dressing)? Or is it more for social interaction and help with other household chores like meal preparation and laundry? Is it transportation to appointments? Whatever it is that your loved one needs help with, be honest with the home care worker so that they can be honest about whether they can help.
Talk to the rest of your family.
While you may be the primary care provider, right now, for your loved one due to proximity or schedule availability, that does not mean the rest of your family should not be involved in the decision. Caring for an elderly loved one is a family responsibility, so this decision needs to be discussed with the rest of the family to let them know what is happening. You can use this opportunity to ask about home care vs. a long-term care facility and discuss different options and opinions. Additionally, make sure to include the loved one who is receiving the home care in this choice as their wants and feelings are the most important here.
Talk about a budget.
Depending on the amount of help required and the hours, home care can be expensive. Start thinking of a budget that you (and your loved one) can reasonably afford so that you are prepared for the costs that could be involved. Additionally, there could be insurance coverage to help pay for some of the costs or even government programs and incentives. One of the other things to consider is if home care will be a short-term or a long-term solution. If your loved one is recovering from surgery and just needs temporary help, the process for hiring a home care worker may be different than if it is going to be ongoing care.
Ask about preferences.
Having someone who is, essentially, a stranger come into your loved one’s home may make them feel very uncomfortable at first. Knowing this, it is important to make sure your family member is comfortable with the home care worker that is in their home. This could include things like language – does your family member prefer to speak in a language other than English? You could be able to find a home care worker who speaks their native language.
Contact Vera Home Care today
If you have made the decision to hire a home care worker to assist a loved one, contact us today to learn how we can help.