Caring for elderly relatives is a delicate decision. It could be heartbreaking for many adults to realize that your beloved parents, aunt, uncle, or even grandparents could be at risk if they lived alone.
Thankfully, there is a choice of options. Many families worry about care homes, especially when the COVID-19 pandemic can have devastating consequences on the senior community. Typically, care homes provide high levels of safety. However, seniors are exposed to many nurses and visitors, which means that contagion risks are high.
Therefore, you may choose to embrace home care for your relative, which allows them to maintain their independence while a professional carer comes regularly. This option enables you to reduce physical interactions that could put your relative at risk under COVID-19. But you need to make sure you can trust the nurse or professional carer to look after your relative in the best possible way. Here are 3 questions you need to ask:
What are your credentials?
Ultimately, you want someone you can trust to look after your elderly relative. Therefore, being a nice and friendly person is not quite enough. You need a carer who is trained to provide the specialist services your parent requires. Typically, for elderly patients, medical support could include injections, bandages, and mild physiotherapy against muscle loss. Your doctor can help you understand what medical support is best suited for your relative. So, the first thing you want to know is whether the carer has received professional training. A lot of carers have a medical background.
Additionally, as more and more older adults struggle with dementia symptoms, you also want someone comfortable handling a confused, scared, or angry patient. Carers can opt for psychological training to tackle these needs.
Do you get stressed easily?
If you find your relative stressful, chances are that someone else will too, even if they are professionally trained for it. Not everyone is a good patient. Some people can get frustrated or even make life difficult for their carer. We all have bad days, and so do our aging relatives! The reason you need to ask this is that you want someone who can keep a cool head and stay focused. A carer who gets annoyed and chooses to leave your relative alone rather than helping them can be troubling. Their attitude is unprofessional and could create injuries. While you can trust the top-rated injury lawyers to protect your relative in those situations, it’s best to avoid any risk if possible.
Who comes when you can’t?
Let’s be realistic. Even carers need days off. It’s a good idea to keep an updated calendar of the carer’s and your holidays, so you can be sure to know what’s going on. Don’t be afraid of addressing holidays. You want the carer to be able to rest when they need to. So, it’s crucial to get to meet their replacement too. Sorting out days off early and making sure your relative is comfortable with both carers can make a big difference.
Looking for a carer you can trust to look after your elderly relative is no easy task. A carer will act as a nurse, a life companion, and a trusted friend. Some carers spend only a couple of hours every day with their patients, while others virtually live with or near their patients. They build a relationship with your relative, which will make their job easier.
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