Many people prefer the idea of staying in their own homes throughout their senior years, so if they get to the point where they need regular care, an in-home carer is often the best option. If you’ve decided to hire an in-home carer for your parent or another senior loved one, then it’s important to build a good relationship with them so that you can support each other with your parent’s best interests in mind.
If you’re in this situation or will be in the near future, then here are some tips for working together with your loved one’s in-home carer.
Get to know each other
Your loved one and their carer are obviously going to be spending a lot of time together, and you’re likely to be around their carer regularly as well. So, it’s a good idea for the three of you to all get to know each other well. The carer is there as a social companion for your loved one as well as tending to their daily needs, so they should have a good relationship.
You could start by all sitting down together and simply being yourselves. Tell each other stories and especially talk about the things that your loved one likes and cares about.
Communicate clearly
It’s important to be open with each other from the very beginning about what your loved one needs and expects. Swap phone numbers so that you can get in touch with each other in the case of an emergency or simply if either of you has a question about what your loved one needs. And if your loved one’s needs change over time, you need to communicate openly and clearly about this as well.
If you have a problem with a certain aspect of their care, then don’t be afraid to communicate this. And the same goes for if there’s something you particularly like or something the carer is doing well.
Work together
There may be certain problems that you can provide insight into more than the carer can, based on your relationship with your loved one. So, you should be there to provide help or advice to their carer if needed. Obviously, it’s their job to provide care, but you can be there to provide support as well.
Trust the carer
This is something to think about during the hiring process and during a trial period, if you have one. You need to be able to trust your loved one’s caregiver, otherwise you’ll nearly end up as stressed as you would have been if you were providing the care yourself. Perform the proper checks when choosing who to hire, and then you can develop more trust as you get to know them better.
If your loved one’s condition progresses beyond the scope of in-home care and requires the kind of around-the-clock care provided by an assisted living facility, then you can contact Brookstone of Clemmons for our support and to find out more about our services and facilities in Clemmons, NC.
