After you and your family have made the decision to hire an in-home caregiver, the transition period may come with challenges.
Proper preparation and maintaining your expectations can make the process less stressful for everyone involved.
Here is a look at what you can expect during the first 30 days of in-home care in Southern Arizona.
Initial Consultation
Before your in-home caregiver arrives at your home for their first day, they will hold a lengthy consultation with you, your loved one, and any family or household members who want to be involved. During this consultation, they will discuss your loved one’s:
- Medical needs and medications
- Health conditions and diagnoses
- Physician and medical care team
- Temperament and personality
- Likes and dislikes
- Routines, schedules, and habits
- Challenges and concerns
They will also ask you about your goals for in-home care and the services that you anticipate needing, and they may recommend scheduling a home safety evaluation.
This will determine if you need to make any repairs, upgrades, or modifications to the home for your loved one’s health, safety, and comfort.
All of this information will help you develop a care plan and schedule for your loved one’s in-home care services. This consultation ensures nothing slips between the cracks or is forgotten, and allows your caregiver to hit the ground running on their first day.
The First Day
On their first day in your home, try to make the space as welcoming and friendly as possible. Give the caregiver a tour and make sure they know where to find anything they might need.
Have a list of important contacts posted on the refrigerator or in another prominent location. Give your caregiver a daily schedule or list of possible activities that they can do with your loved one.
Make sure your caregiver has time to ask questions, and let them know how to best reach you should a question or emergency arise. Then arrange a thoughtful introduction between your caregiver and your loved one.
The First Week: Days 2-7
During the first week you have a caregiver in your home, it will be an adjustment period for you, your loved one, and anyone else in the household.
Everyone is learning the ropes and finding out how to navigate the situation with grace. Don’t be surprised if there is some tension or if there are arguments or disagreements.
Plan to schedule regular check-ins throughout the day with both your caregiver and your loved one. This will ensure that any conflicts will be identified and addressed as quickly as possible.
By the end of the first week, your caregiver should have a good sense of your loved one’s needs, personality, and interests. Arrange an end-of-week evaluation and give the caregiver the opportunity to bring up anything that should be adjusted or changed for their comfort or your loved one’s comfort.
The Second Week: Days 8-14
By the second week, you should have a better sense of how the relationship is developing between your loved one and their caregiver. There may still be missteps or conflicts, especially if your loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
However, both you and the caregiver should be better at navigating those conflicts and overcoming them. Your caregiver will have learned the household’s routine and settled into their role.
By this point, you should be able to move from checking in multiple times per day to checking in once or twice per day.
The Third Week: Days 15-21
By the third week, your caregiver should feel confident in their role and comfortable bringing concerns to your attention.
You should still be scheduling end-of-week evaluations with your caregiver, but should feel comfortable letting them and your loved one manage their schedule with minimal interference or supervision.
Your caregiver should be empowered to make small decisions on their own, and should understand when it is necessary to check in with you for advice or guidance.
By this stage in your relationship, you should also be asking your caregiver how they are feeling and how they are settling into their role.
The Fourth Week: Days 21-27
By the fourth week, you should be able to trust your caregiver to provide independent care and companionship to your loved one. You should not need to check in every day, though you can certainly call your loved one to check in as often as you want to.
You should also have developed a good sense of your caregiver’s strengths and weaknesses. After a month has passed, you should be able to do an evaluation that identifies areas of improvement and offers praise for a job well done.
You can also provide more detailed guidance and request more detailed feedback from your caregiver. When possible, involve other household members or family members in the evaluation process.
Days 27 Through 30
As you near the end of your first 30 days with an in-home caregiver, you should be at the point where you know if you want to continue the relationship.
After a 30-day trial, you will have a sense of what is working and what isn’t. If there are problems that seem insurmountable, or if your caregiver has not responded appropriately to requests for adjustment, it may be time to part ways.
You can either switch to a new in-home care agency, or ask the agency to pair you with a different caregiver. However, if this happens, be prepared to provide specific documentation or feedback about your concerns so that the agency understands what went wrong.
Beyond Day 30
Should you decide to continue your relationship with your home caregiver, you should still check in with them at least once per week to see how they are doing.
Caregiving is a stressful and emotionally taxing job, and your caregiver’s comfort should be a priority. You should also regularly assess how the caregiver’s services are benefiting your loved one.
Make sure that they continue to receive a level of care that aligns with their needs and goals and improves their physical and mental health. If your loved one has a chronic health condition or illness, their in-home care needs may regularly change.
If this is the case, you and your caregiver should create weekly or bi-weekly care plans that address these changing needs. If your loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia, you should be regularly evaluating their memory care plan.
Schedule a Consultation for In-Home Care in Southern Arizona
Placita In Home Care offers highly personalized home care services to clients with a wide range of needs. In addition to senior care and companionship, we also provide Alzheimer’s care, dementia care, and in-home hospice care.
Our caregivers are skilled, compassionate, and experienced. They can assist your loved one with everyday tasks like bathing and dressing, meal preparation, medication reminders, companionship and socialization, and more. In addition to in-home care services, we also offer assisted living placement services.
We can help you find the right assisted living facility for your needs and budget. To schedule a consultation for in-home care in the Tucson or Phoenix metro area, call us today or fill out our contact form online.