How to Help an Elderly Loved One Adjust to a New Caregiver If you decide your elderly loved one is showing signs you should hire a caregiver, or if a previous caregiver quits, you will need to help your loved one adjust to someone new. Because successful caregiving relationships are built on a foundation of trust, it is important to help your loved one build this trust with their new caregiver. Following are a few of the most important steps you can take to do so.
Keep your loved one's needs in mind when choosing a caregiver. The first step you can take to help your loved one adjust to a new caregiver is to find someone who will be a good match for them. Doing so will require you to keep your loved one's needs and preferences in mind when exploring the home health care services available to you. Most basically, you will need to find someone with the skills to handle the medical and personal needs of your loved one. For instance, if they require medication management, you should hire a caregiver with medication aide training. If they need assistance with tasks such as bathing and dressing, you should hire a personal care assistant.
In addition, you should take your loved one's personality and preferences into consideration. For instance, if they are interested in a particular hobby, hiring someone who shares a similar interest will give them common ground upon which they can build a strong relationship with each other. If your loved one feels most comfortable receiving care from someone of a particular gender, hiring someone of that gender can make it easier for your loved one to accept help from that person. Allow your loved one to participate in the selection process. If your loved one is capable of it, you can help them adjust to the new caregiver by giving them a voice in choosing their caregiver. One way to do so is to select a few caregivers from among the caregiving services available to you and have them meet with your loved one. Allow your loved one to make the final selection regarding who will take over their care. By doing so, you allow them to choose someone they feel they can trust. Your loved one may at times choose someone you would not have chosen yourself, but allowing them to do so can make them much more amenable to forming a strong relationship with that person.
At the very least, introducing your loved one to their caregiver (or caregivers, depending on how many they need) before they begin can make your loved one feel more comfortable with the process. Once their caregiver starts providing care, your loved one may be more willing to accept their help. Be present for their first few shifts together. Another way in which you can ease your loved one's transition to in home geriatric care is to be present with them during the first few shifts with the new caregiver. Your presence can offer a comforting reassurance to your loved one as they get settled into the new routine. In addition, the process allows you to see how the caregiver and your loved one interact so you can get a feel for how they will fit together.
Give your loved one time to adjust. Time is a powerful aid in acclimating your loved one to in home care. It is also a key component in the formation of any strong relationship. If you find that your loved one is resistant to care, giving them and their caregiver time can be the key to helping them adjust. Doing so will allow them to have the space and ability to forge a relationship with each other. You may also create opportunities for them to bond by, for instance, arranging for them to enjoy activities together that they have in common. You may find that after several weeks or a few months your loved one is much more comfortable with the caregiver and more willing to accept care from them.
Keep the same caregiver as much as possible. Finally, one of the best ways to support your loved one as they adjust to a new caregiver is to maintain the same person over the long term. If the extent of your loved one's care requires them to have more than one caregiver, assemble a team of people who will consistently provide care at the same days and times. Doing so will provide your loved one with stability and the time they need to build a trusting relationship with the caregiver(s). One way to make sure your loved one has the same caregiver or team of caregivers over time may be to choose a caregiver directly through a service such as Carelily rather than going through an agency.
Accepting a new person into their home and life may be difficult for your elderly loved one, especially if it accompanies a loss of health and independence. However, you can smooth the transition for them by hiring someone who meshes with their needs and interests and allowing them to be involved in the choice. Also by overseeing the first few shifts together with their new caregiver, giving them time to adjust, and keeping the same caregiver over the long term. Doing so will create a stronger, warmer, and more secure relationship between your loved one and their caregiver.