How To Transition To Home Care
Posted on: 19 February 2019
Share
Moving from an in-facility care plan after a medical issue occurs to being cared for at home can be a welcome relief for many. Living at home is comforting for a lot of people, and at-home care makes this possible for many people. However, when you first transition to home care, you need to know that your caregivers and you will get along.
Ask to Meet With the Caregivers Yourself
Whether you have one caregiver coming by for a few hours each week, or several caregivers in shifts each day, you need to meet with them, both so that you know who exactly is supposed to come by and so that you can see if there are glaring personality differences. Attitudes that some patients might find caring could seem condescending to you. Or, maybe you're an introvert and you find your caregivers are absolute extroverts—they could wear on you after a while!
Have Family or Friends Around for the First Few Days
Your caregivers are going to have questions. A lot of questions. You might wonder why someone who is supposed to be the expert is asking so many questions.
That's because the caregivers want to be sure they are giving you the proper care. Everyone is different, and the caregivers can't assume that you're going to be like all of the rest of the patients they see. It is much better for them to err on the side of caution and ask questions that could seem obvious to you, than it would be to not ask those questions and possibly miss important information. Having friends or family around for the first few days gives the caregivers a lot of resources and help.
Write Down Important Issues
Just as your caregivers will have a lot of questions when they start off, there will be a lot of things you want them to know immediately. Write these down ahead of time. For example, contact numbers, medicine locations (e.g., which cabinets they're in), scheduled visits such as maid services, and so on are all easy to list and post so that the caregiver isn't faced with memorizing all of them at once.
Your caregivers are used to dealing with many different people, and they know the first few days can be strange. Eventually, you and the caregivers will settle into a routine, allowing you to receive excellent care while in the comfort of your home. For more information, reach out to senior home care services near you.