As you get older, it can become more difficult to do the everyday tasks you would normally complete. Occasionally, these tasks no longer become feasible to do on your own when your health gets to a point that you cannot properly take care of yourself without assistance. In these situations, it is in your best interest to hire a caregiver for your own safety and quality of life.
Hiring a caregiver requires careful and thorough consideration, and the process should not be taken lightly. This person will be tasked with taking care of you and ensuring your health is prioritized. The caregiver you hire will also be spending extensive time with you, so you want to ensure that you get along well with them and feel comfortable having a relationship with them.
Here at Trust & Will, we understand how important hiring a caregiver is, and how finding a caregiver that is the right fit for you, is critical. Receiving the best possible care when you need it most, will take a bit of planning and research. This article will provide some tips to help you understand the role of caregivers and how to find one that will best accommodate your personal needs.
What Does a Caregiver Do?
Before we explain how to find the right caregiver, it will first be important to understand what caregivers are typically tasked with so that you know what to look for when hiring one. A caregiver is someone who will travel to your home and help you with your daily tasks, such as keeping your house clean, assisting with hygiene, getting your groceries, transporting you to doctor’s appointments, paying bills, assisting with administering medication, and more.
It is important to note that caregivers do more than help you complete daily tasks, they also are someone to lean on for emotional support and company. You will be spending a significant amount of time with this person and will develop a close relationship with them.
This can also be a challenging time for any individual, as not being able to complete your daily routines yourself and struggling with your health may pose a significant impact on your mental health. Your caregiver will help keep your spirits up during this time, making their role in your life incredibly important.
Tips for Choosing the Right Caregiver
Now that you understand the basics that define a caregiver’s role, and why they are so important, we can explain how to pick the best one for you. Below are four tips to keep in mind as you begin your search.
Determine Your Specific Needs
The first crucial step to take is determining what needs you will need your caregiver to perform. Each person will have a different set of tasks they will need their caregiver’s help with, which is often determined by your physical and cognitive strengths and challenges. Some may need more assistance than others. For example, some people may have more extensive medical limitations, such as multiple medications that need to be administered at specific intervals, IVs they need to be continuously monitored, etc. Making a list of all tasks you will need your caregiver to perform on a daily basis will help you determine if you need an around-the-clock caregiver, or only one at certain times during the day or night. It will be important to list each of the tasks you expect your caregiver to be responsible for in the contract that you create, and clearly state all requirements of the job description in writing.
Prepare a Thorough List of Questions for the Interview
As you begin interviewing people, you will want to make sure you create a comprehensive list of questions that cover all your concerns. Remember, you are the one hiring and paying this person to care for you. It will be important to make sure you get all of your questions on the table during the interview so that you can determine if they will be a good fit for you.
It is important to include questions that go beyond their experience level as a caregiver. You will also want to ask questions that will help you determine what their personality is like to determine if the two of you will be a good fit. You could ask them if they tend to be more extroverted or introverted, what they like to do for fun, and more.
Verify Their Application
Before hiring someone, you will want to have them complete a background check and provide references that you can call who will vouch for their application and their skills. Verifying who they say they are, and that the experience they put on their resume is valid, is key to making sure you feel confident about the person that you have chosen to put your care into.
Consider a Trial Run
In the hiring process, you can ask an applicant you are considering hiring to do a trial run to see if this will be a good fit for both of you. You can ask applicants to complete a trial day or week as your caregiver to help you determine if you want to hire them. This is a great step to complete for both you and your candidate to help you each determine if you mesh well together. Caregivers often spend more time with you than any other person, and they will want to make sure they are comfortable with the fit, as well.
Selecting the correct caregiver for you is a challenging task, and having to also worry about your end-of-life plan can become overwhelming. That is why, at Trust and Will, we are dedicated to making Estate Planning easier for you so you can take that worry off of your plate to focus on other important tasks. With our online Estate Planning services, you can complete your Will, Trust-Based Estate Plan, and Nomination of Guardian documents all from the comfort of your home. Not sure where to begin? We offer a free online quiz to help you get started. Get started today!
Share this article