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Making Your Elderly Parents’ Referred Caregiver Comfortable in the Home

Home Care in Wake Forest, NC – Here are a Few Tips for Helping Your Elderly Loved One’s Referred Caregiver Feel Welcome and Comfortable in Their Home

Elderly couple and caretaker Your elderly parents’ referred caregiver is an important part of your senior care team. Whether she is just in the home a few hours each week to help them bathe and run errands or you have a 24-hour arrangement split between two or more referred caregivers, having them on your side gives you peace of mind that your aging parents get the physical assistance, medication reminders, and companionship they need to live an active, healthy lifestyle even when you are not around.

Helping the referred caregiver feel comfortable in the home can help them form a closer relationship with your aging parents, and with you, and makes caregiving smoother and easier. Because the referred caregivers only spend a few hours at a time in the home, even if your parents are under 24-hour care, you do not need to make major changes to the home to accommodate them. A few gestures, however, are a thoughtful way to show your appreciation for what they do for your elderly parents and help them provide the best care.

Try some of these ways to set the stage for a happy, successful relationship for your aging parents:

  • Organize the home. Part of a referred caregiver’s job is to help keep the home tidy and neat for your elderly parents. This is much easier to do, however, when the house is organized. Make sure you understand exactly what tasks the referred caregiver performs and keep all of the products she needs to do those tasks easily accessible and in a logical place so she does not have to search around for them or go shopping for things she does not have.
  • Make lists. Information is always comforting and gives your referred caregiver valuable guidance throughout the day. Make detailed lists about things such as where cleaning products and tools are kept, your parents’ likes and dislikes, medication schedules, appointment schedules, allergies, important phone numbers, and other information and keep them in a neat folder somewhere the care provider can easily find them for reference whenever she needs it.
  • Offer personal space. Especially if a referred caregiver is in the home for long stretches or is with your parents daily, having a few personal items around can be extremely useful. Allow them to keep a small toiletry bag of items tucked in a closet so she has a comb, lotion, fresh socks, clean clothing, or anything else she thinks would be useful when caring for your elderly loved one. Even something as simple as having a clean shirt to change into if she gets wet when bathing your parents can make a major difference in how she feels.
  • Give kitchen privileges. Your parents’ referred caregiver might prepare meals and snacks for them, and could even help with their eating, but she may not eat during the day. Suggesting she eat with your parents or giving her the option of keeping some of her favorite healthy snacks in the kitchen so she can refresh herself during the day, can re-affirm that you want her to feel comfortable in your parent’s home.

The articles posted on this blog are provided for general information and discussion purposes only.  These articles are not intended to suggest anything with respect to the operations or services of this office.

If you or an aging loved one are considering non-medical in-home care in Raleigh, NC, call Griswold Home Care and speak to one of our caring staff members today. Call (919) 229-8944

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