Three Subjects To Cover When You're Interviewing A Home Caregiver

Hiring a home health care professional to look after an aging parent is a process that requires careful consideration -- after all, your parent provided attentive care for you and now it's time to return the favor. You obviously want to partner with an accredited agency that can provide the type of care your parent needs, but it's also important to sit down with the caregiver and ensure that you're both on the same page in terms of caring for your beloved family member. Once you've learned about the caregiver's education credentials and experience, here are three other important subjects to cover.

Shift Length

It's important to determine the shift length for the caregiver. Generally, longer shifts are better than shorter shifts. Shifts on the longer side provide your elderly parent with a degree of stability -- it can be unsettling to have a multitude of caregivers coming in and out of the home throughout the day at short intervals. When your parent is in the company of the caregiver for a day-long shift, it allows for a bond to be created that can help your parent feel relaxed -- after all, having someone providing care within the home, especially if your parent has enjoyed a high degree of independence for several years, can often be a challenge.

Problem Resolution

You should always have a clear understanding of how the caregiver addresses problems before you hire him or her. As such, it's useful to ask the caregiver about some problems he or she has encountered in the past and hear how they've been resolved. You want to hire someone who takes a similar approach as you take with your parent. This way, there won't be a stark contrast between the care provided by you and the caregiver. Follow up the discussion about problem resolution by asking how you'll be informed when an issue does come up. Will you get a phone call or text message right away? Will a written report be filed?

Emergency Protocol

While it's impossible to predict the type of emergencies your family member and the caregiver might encounter, it's useful to talk about this subject. Ask what emergency care the person can provide and how events will unfold. For example, if your parent has a fall and requires hospitalization, will the caregiver be able to drive him or her to the hospital? If an ambulance is called, will the caregiver travel with your parent and stay on scene until you're able to arrive? Talking about these scenarios can help you determine the right person to hire for your loved one.

Contact a service like All Care Hawaii to learn more.

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