By: Sherry Picker
It is difficult to have someone come into your home to assist with your personal care. It’s a big step! Bayshore Home Care offers some hints on how to make this transition comfortable.
Most senior adults will need in-home help with activities of daily living and household chores somewhere along the way. The need for this assistance may come about as a result of a progression in their disease (Dementia, M.S., Parkinson’s or Cancer) or following a hospital stay for an illness, fall or surgery.
Bayshore knows from years of experience, that one of the best ways to make this transition easy and to have a positive and meaningful experience is to share your routine or schedule with your aide. It is also helpful to provide the aide with a list of things you would like him/her to do. This way, you and the aide will both know what to expect and how to fill the time together productively. A rapport is established along with the routine, to the satisfaction of both of you.
If you cannot manage wholly independently, it is best to begin planning for what will make things easier and allow you can maintain as much independence as possible. Some of the tasks a caregiver can assist you with are personal care: bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and transferring (getting up and down from sitting position and even feeding). Caregivers can also tidy up the bathroom, bedroom and kitchen, shop, prepare meals, do the laundry and provide transportation to appointments or run errands. Their main concern is making sure you are safe and comfortable at home.
Hints for Success for You and Your Caregiver:
- Tell the aide your usual routine for the day.
- Tell the aide your likes and dislikes in foods and activities.
- Go with them, the first time to the market and show them the brands and sizes you use.
- Have a list on the fridge of your “Important Contacts” these ought to include, family, doctor, and neighbor or friend.
- List the medications you take, dosage and the time of day to take them. Also any medication or food allergies.
- Have directions to your primary doctor or outpatient appointments in case you don’t recall the way there.
- Ask the aide about their preferences.
You may not have any experience with having an aide in your home but the aide will probably be quite experienced. He or she will just need some information about how your household works. You are in it together. Having hired care from a licensed agency, you can be assured that the person has been screened and is trained. The trick is for the two of you to click.