When looking into any type of senior care, many family members don’t have any clue what to look for, what to ask, or the benefits it provides. That’s because they have never needed to do this before, and that is normal.
Most people don’t have a lot of understanding about things they never needed to know before. Senior care is one of those things you only look into when an aging parent, grandparent, or other loved one is advancing in years and needs some type of physical or emotional support.
If that describes you at this juncture, below is a simple checklist that can help you navigate the waters, or at least begin doing that, and avoid some of the common pitfalls far too many other people fall into because they make too many assumptions and that can lead to missed opportunities.
1. Choose an agency or quality facility.
If you are planning to choose home care as part of the senior care option, make sure you choose an agency to provide caregivers. Why not hire independently?
You certainly can, but if you go this route, it will be your responsibility to interview and check the background, honesty, and integrity of the caregiver you will be hiring to look after this aging loved one.
When you hire through an agency, though, they carefully vet their home care aides, provide training, and offer ongoing support, which is a huge benefit. Just imagine hiring independently and getting a call one day that the caregiver is sick, has a family crisis they have to deal with, or otherwise can’t support this senior in your life.
Suddenly, you will have to scramble to find somebody else. Not so when you hire through an agency. There will almost always be somebody they can send to support the senior in a time of need.
2. Include the senior in the process.
Whatever senior care option you look into, be sure to include the senior in it. Whether hiring a home care aide, looking at assisted living, or something else, their input, opinions, and desires should make a difference.
3. Discuss the senior’s needs.
You might assume you know what this aging senior needs, but what does he or she believe or feel? Discuss their needs with them, because once you know the needs and are both clear on them, it becomes that much easier to select the right type of senior care for them at this juncture in stage in their life.