Over 44 million Americans spend time caring for family members or friends who can no longer live on their own without assistance. Family caregivers often find themselves juggling caregiving with work and other family responsibilities. Paid care may be needed to supplement the care they are providing and help their loved one to continue to live at home. Today, I am including some helpful hints, if care is needed at home.
Some key considerations include: Assessing your family member’s needs, seek the advice of a professional if needed, selecting a care provider, make sure to check references, make sure the care provider is aware of any special care needs, monitor the care, intervene if problems arise and have key contact and emergency information in an accessible location. A further explanation of each of these important steps follow.
Assess your family member’s needs: The first step in any caregiving situation is determining what kind of care is needed. Does your family member need help with bathing, dressing, and other hands-on care and/or activities such as shopping and cleaning? Does he or she have cognitive problems that pose a safety risk? Will your family member accept help? These and other questions need to be addressed. Always remember, it is important to involve your family member in care planning discussions and decisions at each step along the way if he or she is able to participate.
Seek the advice of a professional if needed: Don’t be afraid to enlist the assistance of a professional. You can access the Eldercare Locator, a free publication service from the U.S. Administration on Aging at www.eldercare.gov or by phone at 1-800-677-1116 to assist in finding resources in your local area. You may also visit the website for the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers at www.caremanager.org to find a care manager. This is a professional who specializes in long-term care and can assist in evaluating needs and locating services.
Selecting a care provider: Help at home may come from a variety of sources depending on you family member’s needs. A home care agency that includes services ranging from companion care to personal care may work best when your family member needs help with daily activities such as bathing and dressing and assistance with household chores. Your loved one may not require hands-on assistance and you might select an agency whose staff can assist with shopping, laundry, and similar tasks. You may also choose to hire an independent care provider. In making your selection, cost, staff availability and needed staff skills will all factor into your decision.
Make sure to check references: Whichever option you choose, it is important that you check credentials. If the service comes through an agency, find out what kind of background check they do when hiring staff. If you are hiring and independent provider, it is very important to do a background check, obtain references and perform an on site interview. Remember, if you are hiring an independent person, you will have full responsibility for supervising the care.
Make sure the care provider is aware of any special care needs: Whether or not the agency provides supervision, you should make certain that supervisors and direct care providers are aware of any likes and dislikes your family member may have, any special precautions such as allergies, or safety concerns that require attention as well as his or her medications and their potential side effects. Write down the important information and revise it as changes occur so that all caregivers, even substitutes, can refer to it. Never assume that information has been transferred from one person to another.
Monitor the care: Ongoing monitoring of the care is essential. It is important to keep in touch with care providers, both those who are providing the day-to-day direct care and the supervisors who are monitoring the care. Try to visit at various times of day, unannounced on occasion, especially when the care provider is new. Speak with your family member about how things are going. Observe for changes in his or her mood or behavior that may indicate that a problem exists. If you live at a distance or are unable to monitor the care yourself, you may want to hire a geriatric care manager to assume those responsibilities. Close monitoring is especially important if you have an independent provider.
Intervene if problems arise: If you are concerned about the care your loved one is receiving or have questions, do not hesitate to contact the supervisor if the care is through an agency. Whatever the situation, it is important to address it early on. Remember that quality care for your family member is the first priority.
Have key contact and emergency information in an accessible location: It is important that written information is available in your family member’s home in the event of an emergency, including your family member’s preferred hospital, and contact information for you, a second family member, and his or her physician(s). Have available a current list of your family member’s medical problems, allergies and medications, as well as copies of insurance cards, living will or health care power-of-attorney documents should he or she need to go to the hospital. Write out directions to the home to easily direct emergency service providers. All of this is key to assuring your family member receives the best treatment possible.
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