HealthBridge's In-Home Care Blog

Many of our blog posts and resources address...

?s to ask home care providers

3 Mistakes when talking to your parents about elder care

These are all very useful topics when addressing how to convince family members that in-home care is the best solution to your current elder care challenge.  But what should you focus on once the hard work is over and you are about to get started with a plan of care?  I have led many families through this journey, so here are my top 5 tips for a successful start with a caregiver.

1. JUST DO IT!  You have to start somewhere.  If your loved one has never had this type of help at home, they might have no idea where to start.  Do not "over-engineer" the schedule from the get go.  Work with your care coordinator (that would be me!) to pick a comfortable schedule that will meet their needs.  Then, talk after the first few days and make adjustments as we learn together what is going to work best for the long-term.
2. STAGE A SAFE START.  Often times, my clients are nervous about working with a caregiver they have never met.  I would compare this feeling to the first day of school or your first day at a new job.  This is very common.  If your loved one is a tad uncomfortable with the idea of spending the day with a new caregiver, have a family member or friend be with them for a few hours while the caregiver is there.  This will create an environment that feels "safe" for your loved one.   You can even arrange a short introduction meeting (about 30 minutes) with involved family members prior to the first official day of care.
3. FOCUS ON PERSONALITY.  Prior to starting care, talk in depth about the personality traits you think be the best fit for loved one.  It is most helpful to discuss this with your care coordinator without your loved one present so we can discuss their positive and negative traits.  This will help identify a better match and ensure the best first impression.
4. GIVE IT A FAIR SHOT.  The first day of care might feel awkward (again, like the first day of school or a new job).  If it doesn't go 100% perfect in the eyes of your loved one, give it another try.  Pretty quickly, they will grow more comfortable with each other and establish an excellent routine.
5. TRY A TEAM APPROACH.  Once we are a couple weeks into a successful home care routine, introduce an additional caregiver.  This ensures that if your original caregiver is ever unavailable, you have a familar back-up that will be able to seamlessly work into the established routine.  This might sound crazy, but trust me it really helps establish the long-term solution that is the ultimate goal.

Take my advice - I've seen it work!  I've also seen it fail when these important steps were bypassed by family members.  I hope this helps.  Do you have anything to add from your personal experience?  I would love to learn from your comments!

Image Credit: Andi Sidwell