In old age, a person requires special care, especially if there is a disease. Close people do not always have free time to spend day by day with a relative. For this reason, many think about how to solve this situation.
After all, old people cannot be left alone for one minute. And sometimes in old age, they become the most demanding and irritable. The most popular way out of this situation is to hire live-in care services in brooklyn, ny. How to choose from the many applicants, the person who will meet all the criteria? Let’s try to figure it out.
The main qualities necessary for a live-in care specialist
Before finding a caregiver for an old woman or man, all candidates should be carefully considered. Do pay attention to their personal qualities. Check their recommendations.
In short, a good nurse should have the following qualities:
- attentiveness, benevolence, and the desire to care for the elderly person;
- conscientious attitude to work, seriousness;
- decency and hard work;
- ability to cope with conflict situations;
- ability to quickly make decisions in critical situations;
- patience, ability to psychological support, and ability to motivate;
- balance, stress resistance, tact towards the subject;
- understanding the helpless state of the patient and its acceptance;
- experience working with the elderly, understanding age problems;
- responsible attitude to the tasks;
- desire and opportunity to learn.
Before hiring a specialist, do not rush. Study all the possible recommendations. If there are none, ask for the contact details of employers and check all the information personally.
It is necessary to pay attention to the appearance of a person. Neatness and a well-groomed appearance are positive features. Delicately ask if the candidate has any serious illnesses. Some problems can negatively affect the work, so it is necessary to know everything in advance in order to make the right decision. If a relative cannot move independently, then a specialist in good physical shape will be required. When choosing live-in care services in Brooklyn, NY, you can always ask for the help of Galaxy Home Care. This company is an expert in varied types of nursing services. Plus, their specialists are well-educated, tolerant, and empathetic.
Medical education
When an elderly person needs treatment, search for a nurse with medical education. Such specialists must have the skills to provide first aid at any moment. In addition, special qualifications will help to keep the medication schedule, while the nurse will clearly understand what each drug means.
Moreover, caregivers with medical education can easily make sure if an elder has taken antibiotics. Also, a nurse with medical education will be able to perform special procedures using creams and gels.
How to minimize risks
If you decide where to find a caregiver for the elderly and want to avoid problems to the minimum, we recommend adhering to general precautions. No one can give a full guarantee, even in a specialized agency, because the human factor plays a large role. Ask your neighbors, acquaintances, or relatives for help. More often visit an elderly person, be interested in all affairs. The visits don’t need to be coordinated. Do not forget to inform the nurse about possible guests, this has a great psychological impact.
If possible, check the documents (diplomas, certificates) provided by the employee for authenticity. Do not trust a stranger, put the most valuable things in an inaccessible place.
Be sure to sign a formal contract for hiring a specialist. In the document, indicate the obligations of both parties, responsibilities, and other necessary data. This will help to avoid many of the problems that arise during the proceedings.
Most specialized agencies do not work with dishonest employees. We recommend contacting such organizations if they exist in your city. Find out in advance about the possibility of replacing an employee in case of non-fulfillment of direct duties.
Study the contract
It is desirable to look for nurses wherever possible:
- through recruitment agencies;
- advertising on the Internet;
- acquaintances.
Study the forums where relatives of bedridden patients communicate, there may be original advice and even contacts of trusted nurses. By the way, there you can learn a lot of important things for you, starting with how to get a power of attorney not to conduct business on behalf of an incompetent relative, and ending with tips on how to prevent the formation of bedsores.
It is advisable to discuss with the nurse in advance such seemingly insignificant moments as daily reading aloud to the ward of the Soviet classics or walks. If your relative has a mental illness or needs regular enemas, you should definitely inform the nurse in advance. Otherwise, there’s a good chance we’ll have to start looking again.
Ideally, you should have multiple choices. Remember that the elderly person is usually conservative and capricious, so when choosing an assistant you will have to consider his preference.
When it’s time to change a caregiver
It will be some time before you learn all the positive and negative qualities of the new caregiver. Sometimes the employee manifests himself from the first days. It is recommended to closely monitor the performance and conduct of the employee to eliminate any errors or find another person to fill the vacancy.
The nurses should be immediately replaced in the following cases:
- failure to comply with doctor’s recommendations, lack of adequate care;
- negligent attitude to duties;
- alcohol consumption during working hours;
- rudeness, cruelty towards the ward;
- ignorance of the requests and problems of the pensioner, and excessive concern for his personal life during work.
Many people install video cameras to monitor the activities of the nurse. This allows you to find out about problems in time.
Summing it up
Of course, it’s good when relatives take care of an elderly person themselves. However, sometimes it is not possible. So, what kind of nurse should you choose for your elder so that they can be fully satisfied?
A good nurse is one who fully feels responsible for a person’s life, as well as provides the patient with comfort and tranquility. Yet, this does not happen often, so it is necessary to take the choice of a nurse very seriously. To check the nurse’s work, you need to visit a loved one often. You also need to sign a contract. It clearly states the rights and obligations of the employee so that unforeseen situations do not arise in the future. At last, when choosing live-in care services in Brooklyn, you better rely on trusted providers, like Galaxy Home Care. Thank you for your time!
