Caregivers as Family
The relationships our caregivers develop never cease to amaze me! A good friend of mine procured care for his mother. Her caregiver almost immediately became a member of the family. It didn’t take weeks; it didn’t take days. It was almost immediate. This is the almost Zen-like capability of our caregivers to connect with our clients. Our caregivers are amazing.
While the typical requirements of the role – assisting with activities of daily living, helping out with housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders – are often emphasized with our prospective clients, there is another role that frequently immediately becomes more important. The role of companion. One thing I’ve come to realize over the years is that our caregivers seem to have an innate sense of how to connect with our clients. This is a skill that is frequently taken for granted, but, I believe, is the most important characteristic of an excellent caregiver. This skill allows our caregivers to connect with the client and enables them to become a part of the client’s life, creating the ability to assist the client in maintaining their independence.
My friend’s mom’s caregiver is the perfect example. She began with a set of requirements that needed to be fulfilled in caring for her. Rather than just jump in, she knew that, in order to be able to provide for the client’s needs, she would need to first establish a relationship with her. This process is almost second nature to our best caregivers. Once that relationship is established, just about any client need can be fulfilled. Plus, the first and foremost client need for companionship (again, usually de-emphasized), is almost automatically met. My friend’s mom now gets all her needs met, plus she has a friend and companion.
Once we identify and bring on board this type of caregiver, and we’ve brought on many, our job becomes much easier. We just let our fantastic caregivers “do what they do.”
As owner of Right at Home serving Anne Arundel county, I want to thank each and every one of our caregivers for their dedication to caring for our seniors – and being their friend!
