How to Find a Caregiver for the Elderly

February 12, 2020

The third Friday of February is recognized as National Caregivers Day. As this year’s day of recognition approaches on February 21, 2020, the Karl Truman Law Office wants to recognize the many hardworking, dedicated professionals in the field of elder care. Whether it’s in-home caregiving, a nursing home or assisted living facility, this field of care has many talented and compassionate individuals doing important work every day. As a personal injury law firm, we unfortunately deal a lot with the other end of the spectrum – negligent and abusive caregivers or nursing home staff who have injured their care-receivers physically, financially and/or emotionally. If you have any questions about these types of elder abuse claims, please call us at 502-222-2222. We believe that taking the time to find the right caregiver for your loved one is important to preventing such incidents.

First, Identify the Assistance and Services that are Needed

To find a good match between caregiver and care-receiver, it’s important to be clear about expectations. When each party is clear on what assistance will be provided, there’s a greater likelihood that both caregiver and patient can proceed happily with the arrangement.

You’ll need to discuss the reality of the situation with your elder loved one. These discussions can be difficult; aging parents do not always feel comfortable discussing their age-related needs with their adult children. But it’s important for care and assistance to be there if it’s needed to prevent injuries, mishaps and a diminishment in quality of life.

Here are some of the general areas that you may want to think about:

• Health-related needs: Will the in-home aide need to supervise medication timing and dosage? What about scheduling doctor’s appointments? Will you need a professional who conducts at-home exercise or physical therapy routines with the elder? Will they need to drive the elder to doctor’s appointments and stay at the office for the duration?
• Household duties: Oftentimes it is the household chores that become overwhelming for our aging loved ones. This may be the one thing you know the care professional will need to help with. Examples include cleaning the home, doing laundry, making sure maintenance and home repairs are scheduled and completed, and shopping for food and other basic needs.
• Emotional support and companionship: It’s a sad reality that aging is associated with increased social isolation and smaller social networks. Older adults are more prone to loneliness, according to various studies. Oftentimes, part of a caregiver’s duties are to provide quality time with the elder. The specifics of this function should be discussed, whether it will include a certain number of weekly outings, board games, arranging social events, etc.
• Personal care: At some point in advanced age, caring for one’s personal hygiene becomes very difficult, either because of forgetfulness, isolation, depression, illness, injury or other reasons. It can be embarrassing to ask for help with personal hygiene, bathing, getting dressed and preparing meals. A compassionate, empathic and patient caregiver can be so beneficial when it comes to meeting these basic needs.

What Are the Qualities of a Good Caregiver?

As an in-home aide, caregiver, nursing home staff or other paid professional working with older adults, certain qualities come to the forefront:

• Compassion
• Passion
• Patience
• Empathy
• Reliability
• Trustworthiness

These are just some of the qualities embodied by the best caregivers. We encourage you to take your time choosing the right professional for your loved one and your family. Ultimately, finding a good fit will not only be good for your aging parent but also for the caregiver.

Learn More About Elder Abuse Claims

The experienced attorneys at the Karl Truman Law Office provide a complimentary consultation so we can learn about your elder abuse case and let you know what your options are for pursuing justice. To speak with us, please call our Louisville and Jeffersonville law offices at 502-222-2222.