How to Find and Evaluate the Best Home Caregivers

When it comes to our loved ones, only the best home caregivers will do. From ensuring personalities are a good fit to double-checking credentials, it’s important to know who’s in charge of your loved one’s well-being. The team at Premier Personal Care is dedicated to creating an environment that’s beneficial to the physical, emotional and mental health of every client. 

To understand how a particular caregiver stacks up, consider the following: 

Know Their Background

You’ll never fully know the extent of a caregiver’s abilities until you see him or her in action, but it’s crucial they start from a place of knowledge and experience and they receive ongoing training. If you’re working with an agency, make sure their caregivers are screened prior to employment, including a background check. There should also be an in-house training program that ensures all staff members adhere to a predetermined standard of care and are kept up to date on best practices. 

Ask About A Care Plan

Though caregivers aren’t typically tasked with administering medication and seeing to other high-level medical needs, they must still follow a plan of care that often resembles agendas used by nurses in more formal settings. These care plans are highly personalized and take into account the client’s current ability level and schedule of activities while also setting both short-term and long-term goals. This may include identifying and logging activities of daily living that pertain to personal hygiene, housekeeping, and meals, or it may include broader initiatives, such as weekly trips outside the home. 

Care plans serve as tangible reminders of what’s expected of the caregiver as well as a way to monitor which tasks are being accomplished and how schedules can be tweaked to make the most of the caregiver-client relationship. 

Are They Reliable?

One of the greatest benefits of hiring a caregiver is the ability to step back from the intense responsibility that comes with being the sole provider for an aging or disabled loved one and know they’re still in great hands. It’s difficult to enjoy time away or concentrate on other personal or professional obligations when you’re worried your caregiver may not be dependable. 

• Do they show up on time? Being late to the initial interview or failing to return phone calls in a timely manner can be an early sign of time-management issues or disorganization.
• Does the caregiver you hired agreed to work the majority of shifts, or are you routinely surprised by last-minute substitutes you haven’t met or vetted?
• If you’re working with a limited number of rotating caregivers, is there a reasonable amount of communication between members of the care team? Do they seem well acquainted with your loved ones’ needs and progress, or are they just doing the bare minimum to get through the day? 

The Best Home Caregivers Emphasize Overall Quality of Life

Does your loved one seem happy? Sometimes the simplest questions are among the most important. While it may be possible for someone to receive good-quality care and still be grumpy or depressed due to illness, mood disorder, or other sources of discomfort, the opposite isn’t nearly as likely. Studies have shown links between respect and happiness and connections between isolation and depression.

It stands to reason, then, that a caregiver who respectfully treats their clients, engages them in conversation, maintains a steady flow of activities, and offers stimulation and sustained independence could go a long way to making an exponentially positive impact. If your loved one seems to be thriving thanks to in-home care, chances are their caregiver is doing a good job.

At Premier Personal Care, it’s our mission to provide experiences that help maximize the quality of life. From assisting during injury or illness recovery to providing much-needed companionship, our caregivers go above and beyond to meet the needs of our diverse roster of clients. For more information about personal care services in Bucks County or to schedule a visit, contact us today.