Mistakes People Make When Hiring A Private Caregiver - And How To Avoid Them
Hiring private care for yourself or a loved one is an important decision that requires careful consideration. There’s so much information to absorb and often not a lot of time to process everything. This can lead to mistakes that affect your quality of care.
But you’re in luck. We’ve rounded up the most common mistakes people make when going through this process – and we’ll tell you how to avoid them.
The Most Common Mistakes People Make When Hiring a Caregiver
Mistakes happen from time to time, but the best way to avoid them is to be aware of the most common mishaps from the get-go.
- Waiting too long to hire help
- Dismissing your parents’ concerns and feelings
- Not doing enough research
- Relying on your network to find someone
- Managing everything on your own
- Not staying involved once a caregiver is selected
Let’s review each of these in depth.
Waiting too long
Have you been urging your parent to accept care but they’re either very reluctant or are flat-out refusing? You may be worried there’s a crisis just waiting to happen.
The best way to get around this is to ease your parent into it. Starting with part-time care can be a helpful way for your loved one to get used to a new routine and ensure them that they'll still have some of the independence they desire.
Dismissing your parents’ feelings
Dismissing your parent’s feelings can lead to even more reluctance and an erosion of trust. It can make the transition especially challenging and stressful for everyone involved.
Facilitating an open conversation to acknowledge and address your parent’s feelings and concerns can lead to a smoother and happier experience.
And be sure to involve your loved one in preparing a list of what help they need and what help they would like to have.
Not doing enough research
Most people think they know home care, but there’s a lot more to it than you might expect.
Even if you’ve previously hired a nanny, hiring a caregiver for an adult living in their own home is a completely different scenario. Home care is not a DIY project. Would you remodel your bathroom simply because you know how to fix a leaky faucet?
Hiring private home care is complicated, so it’s essential to dedicate enough time and effort to thoroughly understand the options. LeanOnWe, The Trusted Way to Hire A Caregiver On Your Own, can help guide you to make the right choice for your family.
Relying on your network
Your mother’s cousin’s neighbor’s caregiver might be available and you may have heard second- or third-hand rave reviews, but just because the caregiver worked out well for that person, does not mean they’ll work out for you. In fact, the vast majority of the time, it does not.
Everyone’s situation is different and caregivers have different strengths. You wouldn’t want to rely on the word of someone you kinda, sorta know-of just to make the hire and then find out the caregiver is not at all what you’re looking for or they back out shortly after being hired, and now you’re back to square one.
Managing everything on your own
Hiring help is no simple task or quick investment of time.
Posting the job, interviewing by phone, bringing strangers into your home to meet them, trying to check credentials, determining if references are “real” or fabricated, figuring out skill set, etc. -- it takes a lot of work. And that’s just the hiring process.
What about once the caregiver is working?
There’s payroll, days off, emergencies, etc. Doing this all on your own is often unrealistic and will only lead to more mistakes – and often resentment. Having a support system of siblings, friends, or extended family to help out with tasks is crucial to making sure the process goes smoothly.
Not staying involved once a caregiver is selected
Home care is not a one-and-done project. It requires continued oversight.
To ensure your parent gets the best care possible, make sure to stay involved in the managing aspect of care. This will not only help the caregiver stay on track and work to the best of their ability but will also keep your loved one feeling safe and properly cared for.
Hiring a Caregiver? Avoid These Mistakes and Download Our Complete Care Guide
Making mistakes in the hiring process is common, but not inevitable. There’s a lot to learn, and it’s not as simple as we’d like. Trust us -- we’ve been right where you are.
Download our comprehensive guide today for help on the tough care decisions you’ll have to make in order to find the best care possible: From Crisis to Caregiver: An Uncomplicated Guide to Home Care.
Ready to hire on your own – with a bit of help?
Call LeanOnWe today or click here to schedule a time to learn how to easily hire privately and get all the services you need – back-up and replacement caregivers, insurance, top-level vetting, and thoughtful, professional guidance.
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