The Top 10 Qualities to Look For in a Home Caregiver
Home caregiving is more than just taking care of the physical needs of a senior or person with disabilities. A good home caregiver provides encouragement, fosters a bond with the senior in their care, and in many ways becomes like part of the family. The best professional home caregivers go above and beyond for the seniors in their care.
If you’re searching for a professional home caregiver for seniors, it’s important to choose the person with the right qualities. The home caregiver you choose will spend many hours with your senior loved one, and you want someone who treats him or her like their own family.
Here are some qualities to look for when choosing a professional home caregiver for seniors:
1. Passion
A home caregiver that performs their duties not only for the compensation they will receive, but who genuinely cares about the senior in their care is the kind of person you want to look after your senior loved one. Caregiving is hard, and only a caregiver that is passionate about their vocation can give the best care they possibly can. A passionate caregiver is positive, enthusiastic, and happy and lets this shine through when working with the people in their care. Passionate caregivers always look for ways to improve the lives of those they work with.
2. Compassion
Compassion or empathy is the ability to put yourself in the shoes of someone else. A compassionate home caregiver can identify with the pain, fear, and discomfort of the people in their care and know how to make them feel better. Compassionate home caregivers always think how they would want to be taken care of if the roles were reversed.
3. Patience and Flexibility
Many days don’t go as planned. Difficult situations may arise, and a senior may become uncooperative or emotional. A home caregiver may need to slow down the pace when the senior in their care is in more pain or discomfort than usual. A home caregiver that is too rigid will have a hard time dealing with situations like this.
4. Selflessness
A good caregiver puts the needs of the senior in their care first. This can sometimes be difficult when a senior care recipient is stubborn, or the family interferes. They also need to be able to take charge of a situation in order to put the health and well-being of the seniors in their care first, irrespective of whether the senior or the family agree with them at that specific moment.
5. Attentiveness
A good home caregiver is attuned to the physical and emotional well-being of the seniors in their care and can notice any changes. There may be times your senior loved one isn’t aware of these changes or can’t communicate it to their home caregiver, which is why a caregiver that is attentive and responds quickly to dangers can save lives.
6. Reliability and Trustworthiness
A home caregiver should be dependable and committed to their vocation. The senior and his or her family depend on the caregiver. When you leave your senior loved one in the hands of a caregiver, you need to know that they will show up and that you can always count on them, no matter the situation.
7. Professionalism
We all have off days, and we all know that we can’t let our personal issues affect our work – even more so for a home caregiver. A senior can be affected by the mood of the home caregiver; therefore it’s important that home caregivers are always professional, no matter the circumstances. They should also know when to get help should they need a day off to cope with their personal issues.
8. Excellent Communication Skills
A home caregiver needs to communicate with the senior in their care and with the family, as well as the senior’s doctor or other medical professionals. It’s important that a home caregiver knows how to communicate in clear and simple terms, and make sure everybody is informed about any changes in the health and well-being of the senior in their care.
9. Maintain Confidentiality
A home caregiver is privy to a lot of confidential information. A good caregiver will be able to keep the information they become aware of to themselves — unless divulging the information is required for the safety and well-being of the senior.
10. Physically Fit, Healthy, and a Strong Constitution
A home caregiver needs the strength and stamina to assist the people in their care with any task needed, such as helping them to bathe or get out of bed. Home caregivers should not be squeamish when it comes to cleaning wounds or cleaning up after an episode of uncontrollable bodily functions.
If you're thinking it's time to hire a caregiver in Rockford, IL then give Compassionate Care Services a call today and let us help set you up with the perfect In-Home Senior Caregiver in Rockford, IL.
