Most people who need long-term care rely on family for assistance, but about one third get help from paid caregivers.
Finding and managing outside help can be stressful and time-consuming. You need someone reliable and trustworthy with the right skills. But you also want someone your loved one will be comfortable with.
Assess the Type of Care You Need
There are generally two types of home aides: home health aides, who provide basic medical care, such as managing medication and checking blood pressure, and personal care aides, who help with household chores and personal needs.
A home health aide might be the right choice if your loved one has an illness or disability and needs medical attention. Otherwise, a personal care aide, who can help with bathing, eating, dressing, or household chores, may be your best option. Elderly people living at home, especially those who don’t drive or have family nearby, often spend a lot of time alone.
Know Where to Look for Help
Your community: Most people still rely on recommendations from family and friends, their doctor, or support groups. Word-of-mouth can be a good way to find a quality caregiver or a home health staffing agency—or which ones to stay away from.
Your employer: About 13 percent of employers offer elder-care referral services, according to a study by the Society for Human Resource Management. Some go beyond a simple referral.
Locator service: There are thousands of staffing agencies that specialize in home care.
Decide Who’s the Boss
Your next decision is whether to hire a caregiver through an agency or on your own. There are pros and cons to both. If you work with an agency, it will do the background screening, the hiring (and firing), and the tax and legal paperwork.
If you’re doing the hiring yourself, you can choose the person you think will provide the best care. It’s usually less expensive than using an agency because you don’t have to pay for all of the services built in, but it’s more work, too.
You’ll conduct the interviews, arrange a schedule, negotiate a salary, and spell out job responsibilities. If the home-care worker is sick, you’ll need to arrange for a backup.
Ensure a Good Fit
It can take a lot of time to find a home-care aide, but the effort should pay off in the long run. When interviewing candidates, ask probing questions about how they handled difficult situations and managed disagreements with people they cared for. And make sure your loved one is part of the interviewing and selection process.Once you find someone, make the transition easier by having the aide start gradually, perhaps a few hours a week, or ask the staffing agency for a trial period. A family member or friend should be there the first few days to make sure things go smoothly.
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