4 Ways to Prepare Yourself and Loved One for a Caregiver

Caregivers bring invaluable meaning to you and your loved one’s life. They provide care, of course, but above all, industry experience, warmth, an understanding of your loved one’s needs and situation, and most importantly, friendship.

Yet before you make the decision to open up your home to a caregiver, it’s important that you take a few days, or even weeks, to prepare your home, yourself and your loved one.

The transition will be much easier if you do the following:

1) Do your research

Thanks to agencies providing background checks and screenings, hiring a caregiver that has the appropriate credentials and that can be trusted will make you feel much more comfortable with bringing them into your loved one’s home. Our agency, for example, has quite a robust screening system – check it out on our home page!

2) Be mindful of you or a loved one’s pets

If it’s just a few fish or perhaps a beloved bird, you may not need to worry. However, despite your opinion, your loved one’s dog or cat may not be pleased with a new addition to their home. Make sure that you test the waters before hiring a caregiver your agency suggests, and warn the agency about the pet in case they aren’t comfortable or are allergic. In any case, be sure you have a plan to manage when and where the animal lives when the caregiver visits, especially if the caregiver is to become a live-in caregiver.

3) Be sure to set limits

Your loved one may need a caregiver, yet they have the right to set boundaries if they feel the need. Bring this up to your loved one when you are interviewing caregivers. For example, would they be comfortable if a caregiver had access to the entire home? Would they rather bathe or use the restroom without assistance? Of course, while setting boundaries in the home is important, it may not be possible in an emergency situation, so be sure you speak to your caregiver about making the right game plan if they have concerns.

4) Be honest with your agency

While all agencies do their best to ensure that they match their clients with the best caregivers, you may need a few weeks to several months to establish the right connection. This is why it’s important that you are vocal with the agency who is there to help! If, for example, your loved one expresses that they would prefer a different caregiver, for whatever reason, tell your agency! Their well-being is the agency’s priority, and the caregiver will definitely understand. Other situations like tardiness, professionalism, difficulty in communication, and more, need to be brought up to the agency. As mentioned before, make that game plan to avoid serious issues down the road.