The problem with having health care workers come into your home is that you have to rely on the agency they work for to do its due diligence in hiring professional and respectful workers. If a worker is late, forgets to visit an elderly person or does not take care of the person while at the home, then it would be very easy for the elderly person to become ill or to suffer other consequences.
As someone who has a loved one who is aging, you can take steps to make sure that the people coming into your loved one’s home are trained appropriately and have respect for their patient. Here are a few tips.
1. Meet them
It is never a good idea to allow new health care workers to come into your loved one’s home without meeting them yourself. Most agencies will give you a chance to discuss the type of worker you want in the home and will be able to give you background information on that person. You have every right to ask about a person’s past criminal record and any other worries you have.
2. Make surprise visits
If you are worried about how the health care worker is treating your family member, you can make a surprise visit. On a day when you know the worker is going to be present in the home, stop by unannounced. If you find the worker abusing your elderly loved one, sleeping on the job or otherwise shirking their responsibilities, then you will have a case to have them removed from the home and as a care provider.
3. Install cameras
You are allowed to have security cameras in your home. It is always wise to have them in place whenever someone new is coming into the home with an elderly person. They can provide extra piece of mind.
These tips can help you save your loved one pain. Be wary of anyone who cares for them, at least initially.
