The Industry’s Top 3 Tips For Finding The Best Home Care For Your Mum Or Dad
“Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.”
Michael J. Fox
An important fact about Nurse Next Door is that it started as the result of a search to find the best care for an older family member.
As a result of that search, Nurse Next Door experienced what many of us are faced with when we look to hire home care for our mum or dad. Hiring a caregiver is easy. There are a myriad of options available. Hiring the right caregiver takes time. And planning. And discussion. It’s not about finding someone with the right technical qualifications. It’s about finding someone whose core values match those of your parents, and your family. Someone for whom the wellbeing of your family matters as much to them as it does to you.
Finding the best caregiver for in home care has numerous benefits. Maintaining independence and remaining in familiar surroundings appearing at the top of the list. But to find the best caregiver for your individual home care needs follow these three top tips, taken from real life industry examples:
1. Discuss The Level Of Care You Need
“Sometimes asking for help is the most meaningful example of self-reliance.”
U.S. Senator Cory Booker
When Melissa* called in to Nurse Next Door she was looking for a registered nurse (RN) for her mother who needed assistance with personal care, such as bathing and toileting. Subsequent discussions with her home care team helped her realise a caregiver with a Certificate III was actually what she required. This information enabled Melissa to expand her budget. It also allowed her to organise more hours of home care. This meant the caregiver could do extra services around the home outside of Melissa’s original expectations. The result was a caregiver who took care of her mother’s needs and had time to focus on her mother’s comfort and happiness.
2. Understand The Hiring Process Behind Your Caregiver
Joan* came to Nurse Next Door wary of having a “stranger” looking after her Uncle. Her elderly uncle needed the assistance of a caregiver to accomplish errands such as grocery shopping and making meals. The tasks did not call for a registered or qualified nurse but Joan was fearful of bringing someone into her uncle’s life who wasn’t suitably experienced to look after him as an individual.
Joan’s concerns were eased when a care service specialist explained the extensive hiring process. Face to face interviews; reference and criminal record checks; an in-depth training process and most importantly a matching service. When hiring care, understand your provider’s hiring process. It should be designed so that chosen caregiver has the right background and qualifications and has been matched to form an easy and real bond with your loved one.
3. Ask About The Continuity Of Service
When Fred* first called Nurse Next Door he was burning the candle at both ends. He had a caregiver, hired independently, to care for his father. Yet he found himself constantly working to fill in on the days the caregiver was sick, or required the day off.
After three months with Nurse Next Door, he recognised that not only did his father adore his new caregiver, he was being taken care of by a team of people. From the caregiver to the care designer and the care services center. Fred now had a more than regular home care. He had a team of caregivers, all with a strong rapport with his father and all able to step in if his father’s regular caregiver was not available.
The Right Caregiver
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
Leo Buscaglia
Ultimately, the right caregiver is one who will do whatever it takes to bring peace of mind to both the client and their family. They empathise with what you are feeling. They take the time to learn about the little things that make a difference to your mum or dad’s daily happiness. And they recognise the privilege and respect the responsibility of being invited into your family home. Taking care of your mother or father, grandmother or grandfather, aunt or uncle is as important to them as it is to you.
Home care was built out of a recognised need in the community for a service that is both personal and professional. It is a service that focuses on the safety and well being of elderly, and sometimes vulnerable, loved ones. And at the same time home care is a service that celebrates and supports independence. When done well home care provides you with a team of caregivers who place your family’s emotional and mental well being at the forefront of every decision.
Are you looking for care for a loved one?
Learn more about our wide range of one-on-one home care services, or book a free Caring Consult to discuss your needs with our Care Design Team.