A month ago, your elderly loved one fell at his or her home and sustained some minor injuries during the fall. After this incident, you realized your loved one can’t live alone anymore. To protect his or her safety, you’ve obtained the services of a live-in caregiver. If you can relate to this scenario, consider the following ways to successfully prepare for a live-in caregiver in the home.
Assign the Caregiver a Designated Space
Your loved one’s live-in caregiver will need a space to rest, relax, and refresh. Before making the transition to live-in care, your family needs to designate a room in your parent’s house for the caregiver to live in. As much as possible, take your loved one’s wishes into consideration. If practical, choose a space near your loved one’s bedroom.
Assisting Hands Home Care Frederick professionals can be a wonderful boon to seniors. Whether they require around-the-clock supervision or just need assistance with exercise and household tasks a few days a week, seniors can enjoy a higher quality of life with the help of trusted in-home caregivers.
Remove Personal Effects from the Caregiver’s Room
To make both your loved one and his or her caregiver comfortable, you should remove all personal effects from the caregiver’s assigned room. For example, you might wish to remove:
- Family photos
- Jewelry
- Legal documents
- Awards
- Collectibles
- Clothing
Establish House Rules
Before your parent’s caregiver moves into the home, house rules should be established. By putting these rules in place beforehand, you can likely decrease your loved one’s apprehension. For instance, you might want to create rules relating to:
- Television viewing
- Radio listening
- Phone usage
- Internet usage
- Heating and air conditioning usage
- Social engagements
For many seniors in Frederick, MD, home care service provided by a live-in caregiver is an essential component of aging in place safely and comfortably. However, it’s important for them to have caregivers they can trust and rely on. At Assisting Hands, we extensively screen all of our live-in and 24-hour caregivers and only hire those who have experience in the senior home care industry. Our strict requirements ensure seniors can remain in the comfort of home with a reduced risk of injury or serious illness.
Make the Transition Gradual
It’s not surprising that most seniors have a difficult time accepting live-in care and adapting to having a new person in the home both day and night. If your loved one is anxious about this necessary change, you might want to make the transition a gradual one. For instance, you might wish to ask the caregiver to stay only a couple of nights each week for the first month. By making the transition a gradual one, you’ll give your loved one time to become more comfortable with the idea of a live-in caregiver.
These simple preparations can help your loved one’s new caregiver feel welcome and ease the introduction process for both your parent and his or her caregiver. One of the most challenging tasks of helping an elderly relative age in place safely and comfortably is researching agencies that provide in-home care. Turn to Assisting Hands Home Care for reliable, high-quality in-home care for aging adults. We offer 24-hour live-in care for seniors who require extensive assistance, and we also offer respite care for family caregivers who need a break from their caregiving duties. Call us today at (301) 786-5045 to learn about our high-quality in-home care services.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
