What You Should Know Before Hiring A Caregiver

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What You Should Know Before Hiring A Caregiver
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Synopsis

1. Top Caregiver Duties to Know
2. Caregiving Tips and Tricks to Ease Caregiving
   Problems
3. Assisted Living In-Home Care Compared
4. Understanding the role of caregivers
5. Hiring a Private Caregiver
6. Mistakes to avoid when hiring a caregiver

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Top Caregiver Duties to Know

• Keep Tabs of the Patients Medication
  Requirements
• Caregivers are expected to be aware of their
  patients medication schedule. They need to
  monitor and make sure the patient has been given
  the medicines on time. Caregivers are supposed to
  make sure that the care plan designed for the
  patient is followed strictly.
• Give Assistance as Required
• This is one of the primary reasons a caregiver is
  expected from. The patient is not able to perform
  their simple needs by themselves. They feel the
  need to depend on someone who will help and aid
  them whenever need be. Their needs can range from
  bathing, changing their clothes, drinking water
  or even peeling a banana.
• Prepare Special Meals
• There are many cases where the patient is
  recommended to follow a specific meal intake. In
  times like these, a caregiver can be of great
  help. Who better than a caregiver to monitor the
  nutrition intake and ensure that it is fully
  provided. A caregiver also takes the
  responsibility of feeding the patient patiently
  and good-naturedly.

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Top Caregiver Duties to Know

• Taking the Patient on Their Appointments
• Another main duty that is expected from a
  caregiver is to take the patient on their
  scheduled doctors appointments. They are also
  expected to monitor and stay updated as to when
  the appointment is due.
• Provide Support When Patient Needs To Be
  Transferred
• It could be that the patient needs help and
  support to get out of bed, sit in their
  wheelchair, or go down the stairs. Caregivers can
  be a great source of support for these kinds of
  patients who are dependent on someone with their
  mobility.
• Much Appreciated Companionship
• Although it may seem that this is the least
  important and next-to-nothing duty of a
  caregiver, their companionship can make all the
  difference in a patients life. Just the feeling
  and presence of someone who is continuously there
  to look after your every need can make the
  patient feel cared and loved for.

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Caregiving Tips and Tricks to Ease Caregiving
Problems

• You should plan your day by prioritizing your
  tasks and your goals that you want to accomplish
  in your life. Prepare a list of your needs and
  put the most important ones first
• Identify the neighbours, friends and other
  relatives that are willing to help you. Also,
  identify the kind of support that they are able
  to provide and when are they available
• Make a schedule to ensure that the needs and
  requirements of your loved ones are being
  fulfilled. Arrange a day for taking full
  advantage of any help available from your
  friends, other agencies, and neighbours
• Give yourself space. Dont work to the point of
  overtiredness and exhaustion. It can affect your
  capability of being an affecting caregiver.
  Moreover, it could be an extreme threat to your
  well-being
• Set your limits and follow them strictly. Learn
  to refuse anything that you dont feel like doing
• Caregivers are one of the most important
  participants of a healthcare team. Develop a
  strong partnership with the healthcare providers
  of your loved ones. Get involved in the
  development of any health care plans for short
  and long-term

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Assisted Living In-Home Care Compared

• Assisted Living

• In-Home Care

• As a resident of assisted living, your parents
  become the part of a specific community. By this,
  they can participate in the community activities
  and develop a social circle with a proper
  routine. The facilities of assisted living
  include medical facilities, transportation,
  laundry, and housekeeping.
• The communities of living communities are
  established for helping the residents stay safe
  and active.
• In comparison with home care, assisted living is
  very different. Many people prefer to live in
  their own houses, but some of them like assisted
  living and receiving the professional care.
  Everyone has their own preferences. Many people
  want to stay alone and enjoy their own space
  while others like the company of other people.

• With age, older people are becoming increasingly
  difficult to lead household and observe personal
  hygiene rules. Moreover, age-related illnesses
  further complicate their lives. Often, the
  disease even prevents from leaving the house or
  even can get the person chained to the bed. It is
  especially difficult for single people who do not
  have children or their children are far away, or
  they themselves need help.
• It was for such elderly people that the "Home
  Care" program was created. After seeking help,
  program curators visit a potential client at home
  and assess their ability to self-service and the
  need for help. If an elderly person is still
  capable of doing something, he must do it himself
  as it helps to maintain an active lifestyle and
  stimulates brain activity. A health visitor will
  help with what he cannot do anymore - he will
  wash the floors, go for food and medicine, etc.

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Understanding the role of caregivers

• Anyone who cares for someone is a caregiver and
  is rewarded in many ways. The reward could be
  monetary (for example paid nurses, paid staff)
  but the wages is only part of the reward. The
  bond that is formed between the caregiver and the
  receiver receives much of the reward. A type of
  bond or reward which cannot be weighed in any
  form of currency.
• Sometimes caregivers spend a short duration of
  time with their patients. Sometimes they are
  their caregivers for a much longer period of
  time. So much so that not only do the patients
  depend on them but also love them like they do
  their own children, especially elderly patients.
• For the caregiver, spending time with patients
  with terminal illnesses makes so much of a
  difference to be able to add some joy and comfort
  to their patients in the last days of their life.
  
• Many paid caregivers make personal visits of
  different duration of time for all kinds of
  nursing or helping aid jobs. Different kinds of
  people need a caregiver, the elderly, the sick,
  the injured who need assistance for a long
  recuperation of health.
• Caregivers are not necessarily hired help.
  Caregivers can be family members or neighbours as
  well. You might be, or perhaps should be a
  caregiver to your parents or other relatives in
  need. The caregiver needs to have a world of
  patience and tolerance.
• A caregiver could also be someone who connects
  with you in times of need. Females are found to
  be better caregivers than men because of their
  maternal instincts, the compassion and level of
  tolerance as well as being firm when needed.

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Hiring a Private Caregiver

• Is Empathetic
• In order for the caregiver to provide their best
  care, they need to build a level of comfort and
  understanding with the patient. They need to form
  a strong bond of connection with the patient. If
  the patient does not feel comfortable with the
  caregiver, it will be very hard for the patient
  to be taken care of.
• Is Patient
• In the industry of caregiving, patience is an
  extremely valuable quality that caregivers need
  to possess. Not that it is easy to do so, but
  caregivers need to show tolerance and endurance
  with the patients. They will face many challenges
  along the way. It could be that the patient is
  not willing to eat their food or take their
  medicine on time. They could be obstinate and not
  listen to what they are told to do.

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Hiring a Private Caregiver

• Is Passionate About Their Work
• Caregivers are only good at what they do,
  provided that they have the passion and zest for
  their work. Many caregivers are in this business
  because it brings them a high level of gratitude
  and satisfaction knowing that they are serving a
  righteous cause.
• Is Always Alert And Attentive
• If you need to hire a caregiver to look after an
  elderly patient, the caregiver should fulfill
  their requirement of providing constant
  attention. They need to be familiar with an
  elderly patients necessities and be alert as
  well as attentive to their requirements.
• Is Placing The Patient Before Their Own Needs
• Hired caregivers are aware of the importance that
  they need to give to their patients. They are
  willing to put their patients needs before their
  own. They place priority on putting their
  patients health and well-being above all.

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Mistakes to avoid when hiring a caregiver

• Taking too long to hire a caregiver
• There are various proofs that indicate the need
  to hire a professional and a well-experienced
  caregiver. Various research and studies have
  found that if you hire a caregiver early, it will
  help in improving the psychological well-being of
  a disabled or a patient and also their family.
  Most people seek the help of professional
  caregivers for alleviating stress, anxiety and
  depression. If you see the signs of any of these
  problems in your loved one, dont take too long
  and get the help of a professional caregiver as
  soon as possible.
• Not researching about the agency or a caregiver
• This procedure can sometimes be overwhelming and
  threatening, particularly if a family member or a
  friend suggested a caregiver. However, it is a
  big and an important decision. Before hiring a
  caregiver, you should thoroughly research and
  investigate the right person that you think can
  manage and fulfill your requirements. After the
  research process, ask the caregiver for their
  IDs, licenses and any previous experience while
  conducting the interview. It will ensure that you
  are ending up with a potential and skilled
  caregiver. Moreover, it is usual to consider the
  cost, personality and the skills of every
  prospective caregiver. But, dont let the issue
  of one of these factors outweigh the other
  elements. All of them are equally important.

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Mistakes to avoid when hiring a caregiver

• Not involving other family members
• If a person has been taking care of their loved
  ones alone and they have siblings that are too
  lazy, unfocused or busy for helping. It will be
  his/her responsibility of hiring an experienced
  caregiver and once they find a potential
  caregiver for their parents caregiving
  requirements, they should ask their siblings to
  be there while interviewing a caregiver. It is
  very important to consult all the family members
  before hiring a caregiver. This might help in
  avoiding contentious problems after some time and
  all the family members would know about the
  caregiver. And after all, each family member will
  interact with the chosen caregiver.
• Not staying involved
• If you have finally hired a caregiver, its very
  important to keep asking your parents about how
  things are going every week at least. Pay
  attention to the care and help that your parents
  are receiving. Thats how you will know if there
  are any requirements or needs that should be met.
  It will also ensure you and your siblings that
  your parents are happy and are satisfied with the
  care provided.

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The End

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