Availability, experience, training, personality and proximity are the five points in how we choose the right caregiver
Getting the right match between a caregiver and client is like sorting a puzzle while being a matchmaker. The right caregiver can turn the process of hiring in home care into one that is rewarding, adds value, enhances a senior’s quality of life and gives the family peace of mind. So we put a great deal of effort into how we chose the right caregiver for each client.
While seniors may hesitate at first, making comments such as, “I just don’t want a stranger in my home,” the reality is that a good match with a caregiver can lead to a positive relationship that lasts for years, reducing loneliness and isolation of seniors, improving safety in the home and leading to fewer hospitalizations or emergency room visits.
At Home Nursing Care uses five points of compatibility to match caregivers with clients. Like any good quality agency, all of our care providers are licensed by the California Department of Public Health an/or the California Department of Social Services.
Availability of the Caregiver
The first consideration in how we choose the right caregiver is whether a caregiver is available to take a specific shift. For example, some caregivers only want to work part time, while others prefer 12 to 24 hour shifts. Some can only work weekends, while others want to keep their work schedule limited to Monday – Friday. So the availability of the caregiver will be the first consideration.
Experience of the Caregiver
Clients who have more complex health or disease processes, or those that lead to behaviors such as Alzheimer’s/Dementia, need a caregiver with the experience to calm situations, validate and re-direct. A senior who simply needs some assistance with transportation, errands or companionship may be a fine fit with a newer caregiver. But someone who is prone to falls, needs bed baths, or can get agitated easily would benefit from a caregiver with year’s of experience. That’s why experience is so important in how we choose the right caregiver for clients with different health considerations.
Training of the Caregiver
Alzheimer’s/Dementia is a condition that requires a good amount of specialty training. At Home Nursing Care uses a certification program developed by world renown instructor Teepa Snow. We also have specialty training for Parkinson’s Disease and ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, cancer and hospice or end of life care.
Marching caregivers who have the appropriate training to client’s with specific needs is an important tool the scheduler uses to get the right person in the home.
Personality of the Caregiver
When a nurse from At Home Nursing Care meets with a client and creates a client-centered plan of care, it’s important for the nurse to consider the goals, strengths, wants and needs of each client. This is another tool in how we choose the right caregiver for each individual client.
Experienced nurses ask clients what kinds of traits they find endearing and which they’d rather avoid. That way we can match the right caregiver to the client based on personality traits, such as how talkative or outgoing they are, or whether they are more private and subdued.
Proximity/Location of the Caregiver
As the cost of gasoline has gone up along with traffic congestion, some caregivers have decided to keep their commute distances as short as possible. That means At Home Nursing Care’s staff is going to consider where the caregiver lives in comparison to the potential client to decide how to make a match. A caregiver who lives in Torrance is probably not the best match for a client in West Hollywood, for example, because of the drive time during peak hours. So the proximity between work and home locations is a key factor in how we find the right caregiver for each client.
Availability, Experience, Training, Personality, Proximity – the five factors we consider in how we choose the right caregiver
In this short video, we explain how we make the perfect match between our clients and caregivers – to create a quality home care experience. Learn about our five points of caregiver compatibility.
Music credit Jason Shaw, Royalty Free Music, “Green Leaves”