Independent caregivers can add custom services for seniors living in residence
Families who are new to the idea of placing a senior loved one in a senior home need to read this article.
An independent caregiver will lend you another set of eyes and ears in the residence and add an extra level of personalization
To begin with, we are always concerned about the well being and security of our senior loved ones, especially when they begin to need additional support at home.
You may start to notice and catch conversations with people talking about what is going on with their parents and the choices they’ve made. More often than not you hear about the negative experience that people have had or having with a senior residence. Senior community villages, towers, condos are being built at an alarming fast rate to accommodate what lies ahead with our rapidly growing aging population.
The great concern among all people who plan to place a loved one in a long term care residence, is if the quality of care promised is in fact the actual care that will be provided.
For the most part what private and public residences both have in common is that is their is a shortage of staff for each shift, and it is affecting the quality and quantity of care. A common complaints among care attendants is that they do not have enough staff to accommodate the workload, and complain on a regular basis to management, yet not much is done about it.
What if you sign the residence lease contract, make the move and it turns out to be not at all what you expected? The cost of living in a residence increases over time due to care needs increasing, and while the increments are small it adds up over time. It is important keep a close eye on the additional charges.
You want to know what all your options are before you sign on the dotted line at the residence of your choice. To move you senior loved one(s) every time you do not like a residence, is not practical and also not the best option. Change is hard enough for seniors, add a little chaos for the family too and you have a very stressful situation.
What many families do now is hire private independent caregivers to be more current in the day to day life of a senior loved one. If the cost of the extra care is a main factor, then what most people do is remove the extra residence services, and then direct the funds towards hiring privately.
Private caregivers can perform 90% of the additional services that the residence will charge extra for and not only that, your senior loved one will have a one on one companion. Hire the right caregiver and you will see and feel immediate results. When you hire a quality private caregiver involved as a part of your care team, it will reduce or eliminate any fears of neglect or abuse within a senior home. To have a trusted presence beside family is beyond priceless.
Something worth mentioning too, is that some residences work hand in hand with large home care companies, and offer caregivers from these companies in the senior residence. When you hire an independent caregiver separate from the residence, it provides you the opportunity to see the daily issues or situations from a detached stand point. You will receive the full details of what your caregiver may see as a concern. Family members have every right to hire a caregiver in a residence, and allow them to be with your loved one as you see fit.
Just to clarify, you would not be the first to hire a private caregiver to work in a residence, but you would be among the few families that do and are happy they did. The initial and continued extra cost is difficult to accept especially because your loved one is already paying to live in a residence. Think of it as an insurance policy, if situations in the residence do arise then the cost becomes irrelevant.
Any “extra” services in a residence on top of the base rental cost usually comes at an above average cost. Take the time to compare the residence cost v.s hiring a private caregiver
It would be wonderful to report that all the long term care senior residence issues have been solved across the globe, that certain standards have been put in place, and that they are being followed, but it simply is not the case and we have a long way to go in regulating what is actually going on in each long term care facility. Covid-19 has exposed where all the weak points are in our long term care homes.
Remember that you do have many options to add on to the current care plan. Your private caregiver will be your extra set of eyes and ears, and bring you peace of mind. Information and knowledge are power, similarly the more people you talk to about their experiences, groups you join, residences you visit, questions you ask, the better off your family will be.
The ‘Hire a private caregiver guide’ also includes 40+ professional senior care templates
Home Care Templates (non-medical)
Hire a Private Caregiver Checklist
Home Safety Checklist
Residence Information Sheet
Senior Care Requirements Checklist
Caregiver Time Sheets
Caregiver Job Description
Care Plan
Care Plan Review
Dietary Profile Sheet
Caregiving Daily Checklist
Senior Care Information Form
‘Need a Caregiver’ Sample Post
Caregiver Employment Application
Pre-Interview Caregiver Questionnaire
Full Caregiver Interview Questionnaire
Caregiver Reference Check-Call Script
Caregiver Employment Agreement
Caregiver Employment Contract
Caregiver Job Offer Letter
Termination of Employment Letter
Covid-19 Visitor Health Form
Senior Housekeeping Chart
Senior Personal Care-Hygiene Chart
Daily Food Log
Incident/Accident Report
Recovery Progress Notes
Care Directives Information Sheet
Senior Community Services Contact List
Medical Contacts Sheet
Medical File Log
Medication List
Weekly Medication Trackers
Monthly Medication Tracker
Vitamin Supplement List
Emergency Medical Information
Letter of Recommendation
Visitor Sign in and out Sheet
Employee Letter of Recommendation
Toileting Charts
Visitor Sign in and out Sheet
Caregiver Tax Statement (yearly care costs -to have you or your caregiver fill out)
Senior Care Invoice (To give to your hired caregiver to use to keep care costs in order)
