How to Build a Strong Relationship with Your Caregiver

A good relationship with your caregiver is key to making the most out of senior home care services. Yet, many seniors feel understandably anxious about letting someone – however professional and expertly-trained – into the intimacy of their home and life. Here are some tips for creating a good relationship with your caregiver, from our in-home senior care team in NJ.

5 Tips for a Great Caregiver Relationship:

Make the Right Choice – In the initial stages of talking to your senior independent home care services provider, chat with them about the kind of caregiver you’d like. After all, it’s all about finding a good fit. Talk about your loved one’s likes and dislikes, their hobbies, and history. This will help them ensure that the caregiver you work with can connect with your loved one.

Respect Each Other’s Privacy – While professional caregivers are trained thoroughly on respecting their client’s privacy, it’s important that this goes both ways. It is good to bond and, therefore, it is best to start off by sharing information that both people would be comfortable talking about. General stuff like where they are from, their job, why they chose this profession, and their hobbies.

Communicate Clearly – It’s essential that your caregiver, your loved one, and your family are all on the same page regarding work expectations. This helps manage expectations and ensures minimal confusion. You should all know exactly what is included in their job description and what isn’t – and respect those boundaries.

Listen – Spend some time checking in with your loved one and with the caregiver to see how things are going (but avoid micromanaging). Try to listen as much as possible and not jump to conclusions. This is a good way of getting regular updates on your loved one’s health and happiness as well as making sure that all their needs are being met. It will also indicate to you if their level of care needs to be increased. If the caregiver has any concerns, speak directly to the senior’s home care services provider.

Be Encouraging – Having a caregiver is a big adjustment, and both your loved one and the caregiver can benefit from a little praise and encouragement! If you notice your loved one enjoying the meals prepared for them, if you’re seeing an improvement in their quality of life or if they’re managing your loved one’s health condition well, be sure to mention it. Likewise, if your loved one is doing their best to adjust to their new companion, let them know how much you appreciate it.

Find the Perfect Match – Professional, Skilled, and Companionable In-Home Senior Care in NJ

At United Methodist Communities in New Jersey, we understand the challenges of providing expert medical care and companionship to seniors while encouraging a full and independent life, which is why we’ve developed HomeWorks.

Through this senior independent home care program, trained and highly experienced staff can assist seniors and their families with comprehensive home health care for the elderly. Each care plan is designed around the client’s exact needs, filling in with the necessary assistance while allowing your loved one to remain in the comfort of their home, including pastoral care.

For more information on our seniors home care services, please contact us today or visit our website at: https://umcommunities.org/homeworks/senior-care-new-jersey/