Dial An Angel Blog There's No Place Like Home for Growing Older

"The stairs are getting so hard to climb.""Since my wife died, I just open a can of soup for dinner.""I've lived here all my life. It's my home." These are common concerns for older people - "I really want to stay in my own home!" is an often-heard wish. The good news is that, with the right help, it is possible to do just that. Most family caregivers come to the realisation that they cannot continue without help at home for their loved ones. The telltale signs are that your loved one now requires constant supervision and/or assistance with everyday activities, such as bathing and dressing. Caregivers also recognise that certain housekeeping tasks and regular errands are accomplished with great difficulty or are left undone. It may become apparent that more than one caregiver is required. What do you do first?Consider the types of help that might be required in the near future. Planning is often difficult because you never know how these needs might change. Your partner or parents may need additional medical attention, maybe you just need some respite or another pair of hands to help carry the load. Talk to the doctor about how health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, or emphysema may need to be specially managed or supervised. You may be surprised to learn that your loved ones can stay at home and live independently with just a little help getting dressed in the morning, fixing a meal or a reminder to take a prescribed medicine Assessing your home-care needsA number of options are available for obtaining in-home care. A good starting point is to assess your needs as a caregiver as well as the needs of the person being cared for. Almost any type of help you need is available both in the home as well as outside. The following includes some of the more common kinds of assistance: • Personal care: Assistance with bathing, drying, hair washing, dressing and toileting. • Homemaking and Housekeeping: domestic cleaning, maintaining the garden and property, shopping for provisions, running errands and laundering linen and apparel. • Meals: The planning and preparation of nutritious meals, cleaning up and even organising company to share a meal so that eating becomes an enjoyable activity. • Health Care: Medication management, transportation to and from medical appointments, assistance with therapies and exercises. • Emotional Support: Companionship and conversation helps to make the longest days a little shorter. It is also important to recognise the values and preferences of the person receiving the care. He or she may be more comfortable with a carer who shares his or her language, educational level, cultural background and will often indicate a preference for either male or female caregivers, particularly where personal care is being rendered. Writing a job descriptionWhen you have identified the type of help required, it is important to clearly define those needs. A job description is great way to do this and writing one should be fairly straightforward. In addition to including the tasks you have identified from your assessment, be sure to include the following when and if appropriate: Qualifications and/or experience Training (what level will be required- First Aid Certificate, Registered Nurse, Personal Care Attendant) Driving (is a car needed or only valid driver's licence?) Ability to lift care recipient and/or operate special equipment Experience with those with memory impairments and/or other disabilitiesLanguage skills Other special skills which may be needed Once you have a good idea of what you are looking for, it's time to consider your search options. Agency care has many benefitsAt this point, you have the option of employing an individual person or going through a home care or home health care agency. This is a very important decision to be reached. . If you decide to use an agency, then the screening, reference checking, hiring (and maybe even firing if the person proves to be unsuitable) is all handled by the agency. If you employ a carer privately, it is important to feel comfortable about providing training where necessary, assessing their suitability for this kind of work and knowing how to go about terminating the employee if necessary. Always check references thoroughly of any applicant who applies to work in the home. Be aware that compliance with employment laws and covering the carer for Domestic Workers Compensation insurance is required of all employers. If the carer is sick, an agency can usually send an appropriate substitute at short notice. Individuals with a variety of skills can be supplied to meet varying needs (e.g. skilled nursing, personal care and household support services). Care for your carerThe relationships between the family, the recipient of the assistance and the in-home carer are very important. Honest and open communication is essential for good relationships. Schedule regular times to meet and discuss concerns, problems and/or changes. Make your expectations clear and ensure adequate training to meet those expectations. If the person you have engaged is doing a great job, be sure to tell him or her. A smile and well-deserved praise can make us all feel that our efforts are really appreciated. Danielle Robertson is the CEO of DIAL-AN-ANGEL. Established in 1967 it is the only national agency specialising in the provision of aged, home and child care. The agency provides Angels for housekeeping & home cleaning, gardening & home maintenance, nannying and babysitting, supervised contact visits, party help, aged care, in-home nursing, dementia, palliative and disability care in the home. A wide range of services are available to businesses such as medico legal reporting, employee work-life flexibility programs, trade promotions for competitions and emergency care programs for children and seniors.As a national company, we have offices around Australia in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Central Coast, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth and Sydney. For further information call 1300 721 111 or email administration@dialanangel.comCare