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AARP Caregiving Expert Series: Week 3: How can I be sure I have good quality care for my loved ones? May 20-26, 2019
Welcome to week three of our four week Caregiving Expert Series here in the AARP Online Community, Caregiving Forum. Our AARP Expert, Amy Goyer, is here to help with questions you have as a Caregiver.
This weekโs topic is How can I be sure I have good quality care for my loved one?
Unfortunately, caregivers often feel guilty about asking for help. They might feel like theyโre letting their loved one down. But itโs likely that the care recipient also feels guilty about being a burden. Asking for help can be hard but can also be the best thing you can do for the people you love. Ask our expert how you find quality care to take away some of your concerns.
Hello -- Thank you for providing this service. I am currently seeking a new caregiving company, but mainly a caregive through that company. What are the questions I should ask, what kinds of qualifications? It is so hard, because it really is different for each family and what their specifc needs are. I am not sure if there are general questions that can be asked to get on better footing. Thank you in advance for your suggestions.
@HeatherM881052 Hi Heather! Hiring someone to help care for our loved ones really is such an important task - it can feel like a lot of pressure to find the "right" person. As you say, every family and every individual is unique so it's important to get clear about your and your loved ones wants/needs. When I was hiring people to help care for my grandparents, parents and sister, I always had to remind myself that no one will be me! No one will do every little thing exactly as I would. But, it's important to prioritize the things that are the most important.
There are several ways to go about it hiring someone to help care for our loved ones - i.e. a home health worker, paid caregiver, CNA, care aide etc. - there are different titles, so for right now I'll call them "paid caregivers":
Start by writing a brief "job description" that outlines what you'd like the paid caregivers to do. Think about what would make you feel they were doing as super job - from showing up on time to how they interact with your loved ones to their technical skills. Even if you hire via an agency, it will be helpful in explaining what you are looking for. It will also help you evaluate in the future whether or not the person hired is up to par.
You can hire a paid caregivers through an agency, or you can hire them directly. There are pros and cons to both approaches. On the one hand, agencies can handle insurance (if their services are covered), screening, hiring, scheduling and other personnel issues. On the other hand, agencies may cost more and continuously switch out workers, and youโll still need to coordinate and monitor their work. If services arenโt covered by insurance, you could hire workers directly yourself. The costs will be lower, but youโll have to find, screen, hire and monitor each person. and you'll need to get background checks before arranging for anyone to come to their homes. I have used both approaches in different situations.
1. Hire through an agency: You can find an agency by searching in the AARP online Community Resource Finder or asking a hospital social worker, your loved ones' doctor, their insurance or the area agency on aging for a list. When you contact an agency, always:
2. Hire directly - You can ask for personal "word of mouth" referrals from family, friends, neighbors, co-workers or other caregivers. You can also use an online service or website that matches paid caregivers with people who want to hire them, either searching potential workers' profiles or posting a job listing. (Most of the online matching sites make easy for you to request and pay for background checks via their site). You might also find workers by posting a flier on community bulletin boards (either online or in person), coffee shops, local places of worship, the library, community centers, senior centers, adult day centers, doctorsโ offices, hospitals, colleges and universities (try nursing, social work, physical, occupational or speech therapy students) or through a jobs placement program. Another option is to post an ad in the local newspaper.
Regardless of whom you hire:
I hope these tips are helpful. Please let me know if you have any more questions!
Take care,
Amy Goyer, AARP Family & Caregiving Expert
Author, Juggling Life, Work and Caregiving and
Color Your Way Content When Caring for Loved Ones
@CynthiaW747529 Wonderful! Iโm so glad - serendipity! Hope itโs helpful as you work to find help for your uncle. He is lucky to have you! Just be sure to monitor how things are going! Let me know if I can be of any further help in your caregiving situation.
Take care,
Amy
Welcome to the AARP Caregiving forums. Amy will be answering weekly topical questions staring May 6th. You are welcome to post questions to any of the topics - here is the weekly listing: https://community.aarp.org/t5/Caregiving/Expert-Series-Respite-Caregiving-fatigue-and-help-when-you-...
This thread will receive answers to posts during week 3 (May 19, 2019) but don't worry it will be answered
Let us know if you have additional questions. I have closed this topic until the week it will be addressed. Thank you.
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