A lot of elderly people need assistance and support. Sometimes it gets challenging for the family members to be a full-time caregiver, especially if the elderly patient is critically ill or has had a severe injury. In such a case, it is recommended that you hire a professional attendant. They have past experience and are trained to take care of different aspects of elderly patients’ needs.
All About Seniors is one of India’s only lifestyle platforms for senior citizens. We prioritize seniors’ health and wellness! The idea of hiring professional home attendants in India has grown manifolds in the past few years. All About Seniors is there to help you stay updated on practices that’ll make it easier for you to hire an attendant.
Read through this blog and find how to hire an attendant for elderly including the complete checklist while hiring an attendant.
Duties and responsibilities of an elderly caretaker at home
The duties and responsibilities of an elderly caretaker at home vary depending upon individual needs. You cannot generalize these duties when hiring an attendant for elderly. You can choose a male attendant or a female attendant. As per your requirements and depending upon the condition of the elderly you can hire a home attendant for elderly for a 12-hour shift. Some senior citizens just need a companion who can help them with household and personal tasks like – getting them ready, taking them for a walk, taking them to the toilet, doing dressing etc. Some patients can be suffering from an illness, disease, or injury like cancer, post operative, back injury, fracture, psychiatric conditions etc. and there’s a need for a trained home attendant for elderly in such cases.
Checklist while hiring an attendant
When hiring a home attendant for elderly, there are certain things you should keep in mind. We made a checklist for you so that you don’t forget anything. Here’s the checklist while hiring an attendant for elderly.
1.Care management requirements
Before hiring a home attendant for elderly, make sure you are aware of the needs of elderly. Some elderly people just need an attendant for day to day activities, while others who are ill need proper medical care and qualified medical attendants. These are some of the reasons due to which you might need to hire a home attendant for elderly.
· Personal care (for helping with taking seniors to the toilet, dressing them up, helping with eating, taking them for a walk etc.)
· Health care (medicine management, giving IVs or injections, inserting catheters, taking vitals or checking blood pressure and blood sugar)
· Special care for the ill (care for cancer, dementia, psychiatric patients, or senior citizens who are suffering from an injury)
2.Screening and background check
When you are screening, make sure the home attendant for elderly has past experience of handling senior citizens and has done care giving in the past. Also in their background check you can ask for references and go through their official documents. Keep a copy of their home address proof, Adhar card, and vaccination certificate.
3. Hire from a reputed company
The idea of professional care giving is fairly new in India. One of the most important things you need to keep in mind when hiring a home attendant for elderly is that you only look for trusted and reputed companies. There are various companies that might offer caretaker services at a cheaper rate. Don’t get carried away by the price. Make sure you do a complete background check of the company and do not hire the nurse without any references. Word of mouth publicity also matters a lot. In case your friends or colleagues can suggest you a professional company then you can take that reference and go ahead with finding the best attendant. Before you finalize the candidate, discuss the duties and responsibilities of an elderly caretaker at home and proceed with caution.
4. Salary discussions
One of the most important points in the checklist while hiring an attendant is salary! You should discuss the salary and other overhead expenses well in advance. Make sure to discuss that will you have to pay on hourly basis if the caregiver does overtime or perform any other special duties. Also discuss the mode of payment – whether the caregiver wants cash or online payment.
5. Post hiring tips
Once you have finalized the home attendant for elderly there are certain safety tips that you should be cautious about. You may have given the duties and responsibilities of an elderly caretaker at home, but you need to supervise them.
· Try and install CCTV cameras to keep an eye on the patient and the home attendant for elderly.
· Monitor your loved ones reactions to see if they are comfortable with the new caregiver.
· Make unscheduled visits.
· Ask the elderly if they are being fed properly, are the clothes changed on time, are they given medication time etc.
Keep this checklist handy and you’ll surely understand the duties and responsibilities of an elderly caretaker at home. Care giving can be a tedious process and may burn you out. Instead of taking the entire responsibility on yourself, you can hire a professional caregiver.
