Arranging in-home care is a win-win, but only if done
wisely. Your family gets peace of mind and some relief, and your loved one gets
to stay in his or her home longer. But please, follow Jennifer Luna Friedrich’s
advice in her article,
“Hiring an In-Home Caregiver: What You Don’t Know Could Hurt You,” in a recent
Caregiver.com newsletter.
From our family’s experience, I would emphasize caregiver training
when choosing an agency. And I would also find out how the agency supervises
its caregivers, and what types of reports caregivers are required to submit to
the agency. As Jennifer Luna Friedrich points out, interviewing potential
caregivers can be helpful. And what if the person who checks all your boxes
quits suddenly?
For example, the main three boxes my mother wants checked
are:
- Has a car
- Takes initiative to plan and cook healthy meals
- Is companionable
Her agency has often sent caregivers who, although kind and
caring, do not drive or cook or want to be sociable with my mother. The agency
will send office personnel to drive my mother to appointments if her caregiver
is without a car. But on cooking and companionability issues, she seems to have
no recourse. Her agency's failures have been hard on my mother. Yes, she’s still
in her home, but she’s lonelier than she needs to be and still has the burden
of managing more than she should.
Anyway, I urge you to ask a lot of questions. Most
importantly, understand the definitions and legalities Jennifer Luna Friedrich
explains so clearly in “Hiring an In-Home Caregiver: What You Don’t Know Could Hurt
You.”
