Tips for Choosing Personal Care
As we age, our mobility and ability to provide personal care may decline. You can be independent and happy in your own home. It may be possible to hire people to help you instead of moving and placing you in a facility.
Assistance for the Individual
Different agencies will have different requirements. This can include the following:
- Meal planning, preparation and clean-up - Shopping and errands
- Housekeeping and laundry, as well as trash collection
- Pet care
- Personal hygiene
- Administration of medication
- Transport to appointments and social events
- Companionship
Determine the level of care
There are many different needs. Before you make any hiring decisions, consider how much assistance you need. A person with mobility or challenging health needs may require more care than someone who only requires companionship and assistance with meal preparation. Hire certified home health aides such as certified nursing assistants or personal care aides if the patient requires assistance with medication administration, dressing changes, physical therapy, monitoring medical equipment, and bandage or dressing removal. A Temecula Home Health Care, or home care aide can be sufficient if in-home assistance is not required.
Hire Steps
It is important to choose the right person or agency to provide the assistance. Ask your family and friends to recommend you. Ask your physician for professional recommendations. Examine the qualifications of the names to find the most qualified and experienced in the field.
- Set up interview appointments with all three candidates. Ask about experience and certifications. To ensure that your schedule is compatible, ask about hours of availability. Ask for references from each candidate.
- Verify references and credentials of all candidates. You can find local licensing and certification information online, or call specific licensing boards. Talk to other customers who have used the provider. Ask about the provider's reliability, personality and professionalism. Ask about any problems. Note down every word of what you say to help you remember.
- To ensure compatibility, have the best candidates meet with the patient. If possible, get input from the patient regarding the hiring decision.
- Take the final decision on hiring a professional. You might consider making the hiring decision pre-employment to make sure everyone is satisfied with the outcome. If everyone is satisfied, the position will be made permanent within a week.
Monitor the Provider
It is important to keep an eye on the situation, even after you have hired a professional. This will ensure that the assistance is providing the right care for the patient. Talk to the patient and ask them questions about the aide. This will help you understand how they feel about the care received. To see the aid in action, be present.
You can maintain independence for as long as you want by taking a proactive approach to finding the best help.