Getting professional, in-home help for an aging loved one is one of the most important things you can do to make sure that your family member remains safe, healthy, secure, and independent. The vast majority of seniors prefer to age in place, in the comfort of their own homes. Hiring a non-medical home companion is a great way to honor your loved one’s wishes while giving them the support and attention they need to live a fulfilling and empowered life.
So, once your family has decided to bring in a professional caregiver, what comes next? What can you do to help your aging loved one prepare for their time with their new full- or part-time companion?
Preparing Your Home for In-Home Care Services
Here are five important steps for you and your senior to prepare your home for in-home care services:
1. Have Important Care Discussions With Your Senior Loved One
One of the most important things you can do to get your loved one ready for care is to talk with them – openly, honestly, and transparently.
Making the transition to in-home care will be much easier if your aging family member feels included in the process. Be sure to have open discussions and be responsive to your loved one’s wants and needs. Talk about what areas of daily life they could use help with, and be ready to discuss any concerns you may have that a home care provider can help address, from driving to housekeeping.
Be sure to emphasize the positive. It may help to frame these conversations around hiring help for your loved one, rather than hiring care. Emphasize that this is about helping your family member maintain their independence and stay healthy; you’re trying to make life better, not take anything away.
2.) Get Everyone on the Same Page
When it comes to providing care for your loved one, it really can take a village. There are many moving pieces and different parties involved in caring for an aging person, and it’s important to make sure that everyone is on the same page at all times.
Before starting in-home care, it may be a good idea to take your elderly loved one in for consultations with their doctors, including specialists. A new caregiver coming aboard is a great chance to reevaluate and, perhaps, update your loved one’s care plan. For example, a doctor may decide that your loved one could benefit from new medications or different dosages of their current prescriptions.
Meanwhile, don’t forget about your aging loved one’s network of friends and family. Everyone who is directly involved in helping your family member needs to be aware of the plan to bring on a caregiver. It’s important to get everyone on board with new schedules, expectations, and treatment methods.
At the same time that this network comes together to coordinate its new responsibilities, it’s also important to figure out the best way to communicate. That may mean setting up a phone tree, creating a group text or email chain, or setting up a shared digital folder or spreadsheets. Find what works for the people around you. Be sure to determine who will be the main point of contact, and find a way to quickly spread messages to the entire care team, when it’s necessary.
3.) Collect Important Supplies, Paperwork, and Information
Before starting with a professional in-home caregiver, be sure to have everything that you, your relative, and your new caregiver might need on hand and ready to go. Take a survey of your loved one’s home. Are food, supplies, and medications all accessible and readily available? Will you be able to quickly get the caregiver acquainted with everything they may need to provide for your loved one?
Similarly, check to make sure that you have a contact list – including healthcare providers, family members, and so on – ready to go. Will you need to make a copy of the house keys for the caregiver? Or clear a spot for them to park in the driveway?
It’s also going to be important to gather the information you may need, to make decisions or payments on behalf of your senior. That includes their estate planning documents, power of attorney information, healthcare directives, and maybe even bills or bank statements if you are involved in their finances.
And, speaking of finances, an important step to take before starting with home care is figuring out payments and handling money. In addition to settling the way you’ll pay for your loved one’s care, it may also be important to come up with a strategy for spending money day-to-day. For example, if your caregiver is taking your loved one to shop for groceries, who will pay, and how? Do you need to see receipts or track payments on a card? Take some time to discuss your expectations and ideas with your new caregiver.
4.) Prepare the Home
Is your loved one’s home ready for a full- or part-time caregiver? It may be tempting to clean top to bottom, but don’t worry – your caregiver isn’t going to be focused on walking into a spotless home. Instead, focus on safety and accessibility for your loved one.
Is the house easy to navigate and accessible for your senior loved one? Is the space free of obstructions, obstacles, and hazards? Take some time to go through your loved one’s living environment and make sure that it’s safe. Starting with home care may be a great opportunity to consider making some updates or changes that could help your loved one get around more easily, such as installing grab bars in the bathroom, adding a chair lift to the stairs, putting in a wheelchair ramp outside, and so on.
For your caregiver? Make sure that the home is set up so that they can access what they need – including important documents, the phone, cooking equipment, your loved one’s medications, etc. Feel free to mark certain rooms as off-limits. You should also create a space for the caregiver to store their belongings, particularly if they’ll be staying overnight. Finally, be ready to show your caregiver around the important areas of the home, including the senior’s bedroom, the laundry room, and the kitchen.
5.) Work Through the “First Day” Jitters
The first day of welcoming a new caregiver into your home can feel a little bit like the first day at a new school. There will be a few questions and last-minute details to hammer out, and it’s only natural for you and your loved one to be a little bit anxious. The good news? The right caregiver is going to make getting started as easy as possible.
Be ready to field a few basic, preliminary questions from the new companion, and be ready to give a tour of the house and make sure that the companion knows where everything is located. Consider going over the caregiver’s responsibilities together, particularly if there is an expectation of how or when something should be done – for instance, you could walk them through doing a load of laundry the way your loved one likes it.
In many ways, it may help if you or another family member is present so that your loved one isn’t left all on their own to meet a relative stranger for the first time. Think of what you can do to make this transition easier for your loved one. For instance, you may need to be the one who helps start up conversations between caregiver and senior, especially if your family member is shy. Try to find commonalities – a shared history, similar hobbies, a favorite sports team, or a TV show. These are all great starting points for a long and meaningful connection.
In general, you may be there on the first day to supervise if you wish, but you should also be ready to give your loved one and companion some space – don’t “helicopter” over the situation. Don’t forget: hiring a professional caregiver is also about giving you back free time, energy, and peace of mind, too!
Clients & Families
Clients and their families have many concerns when starting in-home care. Privacy and disruption of daily routines are the most common. Everyone’s worries are valid and should be taken seriously. Therefore, you should select a home care agency that understands these concerns and helps you address them. Prepare for the transition to living with your caregiver by considering these suggestions:
- Consider how you want the care team to respect your privacy and what boundaries you want to be applied.
- Communicate your rules and expectations to your home care professional before they arrive. Some topics to include are which restroom to use, how they should enter and announce themselves, and any parking instructions.
- Arrange your supplies and other items your caregiver may need. Make sure that clothes, toiletries, and other supplies are easily accessible.
- If possible, keep private areas of your home for yourself and your family.
- Set up a place where your caregiver can take notes, complete other paperwork, hang up their coats, and store food.
- Share details about your daily routine, such as when you eat and dress. Also, note if you have regular visitors or deliveries.
- Make it clear to the caregiver who they should contact to get questions answered when they arise.
It is natural to be hesitant about home care. It is a new experience that introduces a change where you feel the most secure. You can make this transition a more positive experience by preparing yourself and your home for it beforehand.
Preparation
Providing round-the-clock care for a loved one is a significant commitment. Beyond the mental and emotional investment required to be a caregiver, you will also need to make some investments in your home. Whether you’re providing care for an elderly loved one, someone recovering from an illness, or palliative care, here are five essential ways to prepare your home for a positive caregiving experience:
Prepare a comfortable living area
Those receiving care at home will spend a lot of time there. Making their space as comfortable and welcoming as possible can go a long way! If possible, set up a first-floor bedroom so stairs can be avoided and include some simple comforts, such as a television or their favorite art or decorations, that will make their time more enjoyable. Don’t forget the comfort of the caregiver, either: couches, comfortable chairs, and plenty of lighting will make it easier to provide your loved one with the care they require.
Accessibility is key
Be sure to consider the mobility challenges of the person receiving care. While a first-floor living area and bedroom are ideal, this setup is not always possible. In this scenario, consider a stair lift to help your loved one get up and down from their living area to the first floor with ease. Entering and exiting the house is equally important to plan for — ramps, in lieu of stairs, can make that process much simpler. In addition to access points, inspect the living area for any other challenges for mobility, such as tripping hazards or slippery surfaces, and address them appropriately.
Don’t neglect the bathroom
The bathroom will be one of the most frequented rooms of the person receiving care. It can also be one of the more treacherous areas of the home, but a few small adjustments make a big difference. Install grab bars near the toilet and in the shower to help with sitting and standing. Since the bathroom can often be wet and slippery, anti-slip padding or materials are also important to keep the room safe and usable. If the person receiving care has difficulties standing for a prolonged period of time, consider a shower chair or hand-held shower to make bathing easier.
Anticipate communication needs
Even the most dedicated caregiver can’t be with someone 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. You will need to have a system in place for communication when you are unable to be with the person receiving care. An intercom system is a useful way to maintain contact throughout the house; however, it can be expensive to install. For a more cost-effective solution, consider investing in some baby monitors.
Safety first
Hopefully, you have already taken the time to do a basic safety review of your house in the past, but the decision to provide care is a good time for a review. Inspect all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they are still functional and make sure there are fire extinguishers readily available for use throughout the home. Set aside some time before care begins to review your home’s first aid kit and basic medical supplies. A well-stocked first aid kit can be a life-saving resource during an emergency.
Preparing your home before care begins can make for an easier transition and will also ensure that your loved one feels relaxed in their new environment. Caregiving is a big responsibility — if you feel overwhelmed, your healthcare provider should be able to refer professional resources that can support both the preparation of your home and care itself.
Promedcare
Being a family-owned business, the owners of Promedcare are engaged in the day-to-day operations and get to know both clients and caregivers on a first-name basis. Having both owners and staff present vs. working remotely with our clients creates a feel of FAMILY and allows Promedcare to create an environment of care that reduces turnover and increases dedication to the brand. We provide 24/7 service with the ability to interact with Senior Management and the owners as needed.
Promedcare has evolved into a caring business that focuses on individuals’ specific needs and preferences. This type of care fosters independence, happiness, and a sense of familiarity by acknowledging older individuals’ desire to age in the comfort of their own homes.
For some, it’s to provide extensive ongoing care for an aging senior. For others, we offer a much-needed break or, respite care – such as a night out with a spouse, vacation, or simply a few hours of quiet time at home – for family members who provide regular care. We offer a wide range of care services customized for each individual client.
Promedcare services include Personal Care Services, Companion Care Services, Dementia / Alzheimer’s Care Services, and Respiratory Solutions.
Contact us today to see how Prodmedcare can help you!