The following guest blog has been provided to us by Ed Scher, President of Access Home Care, Inc. and Home Companion Services, Inc.
If you would like to learn more about these two highly respected agencies please visit them at:
http://www.accesshomecare.net/ (631-476-3600)
http://homecompanionservices.com/ (631-473-0700)
Jessica Reid was thrilled. After a long search, she found a qualified person to care for her 80-year-old mother each day while she was at work. For the last few years, deciding how to care for her ailing mother, now suffering from dementia was a major concern. Jessica would routinely depend on the generosity of family members, neighbors, and friends, to check in on her mom while she worked full time as an executive assistant in New York City. However, each week Jessica had to plead for help and creatively put together new short-term arrangements. Now after two years of this disjointed approach to home care, she finally found a full-time person to attend to her mom.
Not so fast…
After just a few weeks into the new arrangement, Jessica realized she had made a terrible mistake. She knew her mom could be difficult, and that her illness made her quite suspicious of anyone who came into the house. However, she never imagined the new caregiver would get into heated arguments with her mom. Despite being an experienced health care professional, the caregiver just couldn’t control her emotions when challenged by her senior client. Finally, Jessica had to find a new caregiver for her mom.
It’s an important lesson. Before you settle on a person to provide care for your senior loved ones, observe how the caregiver interacts with them day-to-day. While you may be familiar with your loved one’s quirks of personality and how an illness may affect their demeanor, seniors with a harsh, combative style could be a “deal-breaker” when it comes to some caregivers.
Senior care providers are committed professionals, but not everyone is a fit for every client. Personality conflicts do exist, and it’s up to you to factor this in, when making decisions about the right caregivers for your loved ones.
