Caregiver Stories

In Conversation with Kimberly Whiter to Bring Her Insights on Advising & Hiring Family Caregivers

Undoubtedly, trying to take care of aging loved ones from a distance is hard. Whether you live just a few miles away or care for a parent in a separate state, guilt and stress will take an emotional toll.

While you can’t be with your elderly all the time, hiring an in-home caregiver for your senior is the best thing you can do. Hiring a professional caregiver supports their independence and quality of life.

Unfortunately, seniors lose their freedom due to age-related issues; caregivers help them live in the comforts of their homes by assisting with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), allowing your parents to live in the comfort and familiarity of their homes.

To shed some light on the same, we interviewed a home care industry expert to bring her perspective on the importance of hiring a caregiver for your elderly and advising families on selecting an ideal caregiver at the same time.

Let’s get started with knowing what our expert thinks of the home care industry:

Question 1: What, according to you, should families do when hiring a caregiver for their elderly?

When hiring a caregiver for your aging loved one, the following considerations are essential.

• Know your loved one’s boundaries: What are they comfortable receiving help with, and what tasks are they hoping to accomplish as independently as possible?
• Do a test run: Ensure the caregiver is a good match for your loved one (they will need to develop a close relationship) and for YOU (you need to trust them and know they’ll listen to your concerns).
• Learn all your financial options for sustaining their care: You want to avoid suddenly removing or limiting care because of a lack of funds. Adequate care means your loved one stays healthier longer! It requires financial stability. So, once you know the price of all the care you need, explore all your options! (Elder Care Solutions can help with that!)

Question 2: How can caregivers maintain the independence and dignity of older people and their families when providing care?

When I talk to family members, there is always guilt. This primarily stems from family members not knowing what their loved ones want.

Maintaining the dignity of our aging loved ones means we need to know their preferences, boundaries, and wishes. This can be approached by asking your loved one questions like “What are you okay receiving help with?”, “Where is it important for you to NOT receive help?”, “If your care needs change, how far are you willing to stretch their boundaries?”.

Question 3: How can caregivers prevent burnout and manage their work-personal life?

To show up for your aging loved one well, you need to feel like you can fully show up for your other life roles. Otherwise, you’ll feel off balance, stressed, and overwhelmed. That means it’s okay to bring in help to do that.

It’s okay to have your time valued with small payments when you help your loved one. Especially if you need to take time off work to help them, it’s also okay to ask your employer for benefits and policies supporting your lifestyle as a caregiver. You are doing an incredible thing that takes tremendous time and effort; honor yourself with support.

Question 4: How can I help my aging parents from afar?

There have never before been so many amazing tech tools to help individuals care for and make decisions for aging loved ones from afar.

Also, non-medical home care (a.k.a. Personal Care, Companion Care) will be a phenomenal asset to you! Check out Naborforce and see if they’re in your area!

Question 5: What advice do you give to new family caregivers?

DO NOT try to do it all alone! You are part of millions of individuals across the U.S. caring for an aging loved one. There are support circles, resources, tools, etc. EVERYWHERE. You just need to know to look for them. (Elder Care Solutions can help with that too!)

In Conclusion

Distance is a challenge when caring for elderly parents. However, it can be made much more manageable by employing some strategic planning and making care a team effort to ensure that your loved one is getting the requisite assistance they need.

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