Caregivers often come and go from your parent’s life. When you’ve found a great caregiver, it’s easy to feel a tremendous sense of loss when they leave. To make it easier to find new caregivers who are just as good, there are a few key traits you can look for.
#1 – Patience
When your parent struggles with simple tasks, it can be faster to do it for them. That can also hurt them. Your mom or dad needs to feel independent. The right caregiver will have a lot of patience. When there’s no rush to finish a chore or meal, your parent doesn’t feel that there’s a loss of control and freedom.
#2 – Positivity
A positive caregiver is best for your family. When a caregiver has a negative attitude, it’s going to rub off on your parent. It will impact your parent’s mood, which can make family gatherings hard. Plus, a caregiver who is always in a bad mood is likely unhappy in that job. Having a bad day is one thing, consistent negative moods could be a sign that the caregiver won’t last.
#3 – Leadership Skills
You want your mom or dad to have a sense of independence. Sometimes, that independence will come with a stubborn streak. You need a caregiver who can stand up to that stubbornness and take charge. At the same time, that take-charge attitude cannot drive your parent away. It needs to be handled with diplomacy. You need caregivers that get the job done, but you don’t want to upset your parent while that happens.
#4 – Kindness
If the caregiver you hire isn’t kind, it’s not going to work out. Elderly homeowners typically don’t enjoy having someone else doing things for them. Handing over cleaning and cooking to a stranger can be alarming. When you add a disease like Alzheimer’s, agitation and confusion are common. Kindness is essential if you want your parent to adjust and become comfortable with home care services.
#5 – Intuitive
Caregivers need to know when to step in and help and when to back away. They need to know when something that’s not on a to-do list should get completed anyway. If you have a caregiver who sees your parent is having a bad day, you want that caregiver to step in and do what’s necessary to help get your mom or dad through that rough spell.
You can always hire private caregivers, but an agency gives you the protection of having a back-up. If you hire a private caregiver and that person doesn’t show up one morning, you or a family member will end up having to be available that day. An agency helps you avoid the stress of not having anyone available. Call today to learn more about our caregivers and services.
If you or an aging loved one are in need of Caregiver Services in Northport NY or the surrounding areas, contact the caring professionals at Star Multi Care Services today at (631)956-8835. We are the Right Choice for Home Health Care Services!
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