When a family decides to bring in home care, things change.
A transition to a senior living community means packing, consolidating, signing agreements, unpacking, settling in, and adjusting to a new routine and schedule, but bringing in home care is a similar process, minus the packing and unpacking.
You may not realize that there will be a period of adjustment for your senior loved one — and for your entire family — after a professional caregiver comes in. Besides the role change for the person who had been the primary caregiver until then, a total stranger is entering your family’s world. She won’t know your Grandma’s quirks or her favorite TV program right away. Unless you tell him, he won’t know how to make your Dad’s favorite meal or that he prefers a shower at night. To be successful, the caregiver needs support from the family, needs to know the quirks, preferences, and routines. That information may not come from your loved one, so it may be up to you to communicate it.
Sometimes the hardest part of entering into a home care arrangement is finding the best caregiver. Be patient through this process, and be particular, without being unrealistic, in your demands and expectations. It’s most important for the person receiving care to feel comfortable with the caregiver, so make sure they are involved in that process.
Flickr Gallery
Tony Rovere says,
I had to deal with this for my mother…before we were eventually forced to move my mother into a nursing home.
The best way to deal with the situation is to deal with the challenges upfront.
For example, my mother had major mobility issues, but I was able to find a doctor that make house calls…yes they still exist.
In addition, by contacting the local Office of the Aging I was able to arrange for respite care for her, where a volunteer came to the house for a few hours a day, two days a week, to help her with little odds-and-ends.
This Office of the Aging was even able to arrange for medical transportation to appointments, but unfortunately it was only curb-to-curb service and my mother needed help getting in and out of a vehicle so it wasn’t viable, but I list it here because it is a great service for those who can take advantage of it.
on 03 April 2012 / 11:53 PM
Michelle Seitzer says,
Good advice on dealing with the challenges up front, Tony. Glad you found a doctor that made house calls too — what a lifesaver!
The local Office of the Aging can be very helpful; I’m happy to know you had a good experience with getting volunteer help from them. Thanks for listing it as a resource and sharing your experiences/insights!
on 04 April 2012 / 11:11 AM
Beatrix Lewis says,
Home care is everyone’s first choice since it’s such heartbreaking to let your loved one move to facilities. It’s much easier to get used to this kind of setting compared to when your loved one moves out. When it comes to finding the right caregiver, you can do it on your own conduct interviews and asking for referrals or you can simply ask the help of a reliable home care agency.
on 04 April 2012 / 9:22 PM
Michelle Seitzer says,
That’s true, Beatrix. It’s easier in some ways, but although it may be the best solution, it is a transition nonetheless. Our family went through it and it was very challenging.
on 05 April 2012 / 11:11 AM