5 Signs of a Good Caregiver
09 Apr 2018
When you have an in-home care professional taking care of an aging loved one, it can be difficult to find someone you fully trust with this great responsibility. After all, the care of someone you deeply love is in their hands.
What should come as a relief is that there are a few clear signs that indicate you have found a good home care provider, someone you can trust with this great responsibility and someone who truly cares as much for your loved one as you do. Though this is by no means an all-inclusive list, here are five signs that indicate you are working with a highly skilled and compassionate caregiver. Take a look!
- Positive attitude
A good caregiver exhibits a positive attitude, even in the most challenging situations. When caring for a senior adult, there can be many frustrating moments that arise on a daily basis. You want a caregiver that can see through these challenges and find the bright side of the situation. You want someone to lift your spirits as well as your loved one’s by remaining positive and proactively seeking solutions to problems. A positive attitude is an essential quality of a good caregiver! At a home care service, caregivers spread positivity among one another and to our residents. It’s contagious! When you create a culture of positive attitudes, it’s incredible the difference this makes within a community.
- Desire to create deep relationships
Though the core responsibilities of a caregiver may be to attend to the physical needs of your loved one, an exceptional caregiver will also see to the mental and emotional needs as well. This comes by forging a deep relationship with their client, really getting to know them and listening to their stories or answering their questions. How wonderful would it be for your loved one to not only have someone to keep them healthy and safe, but to keep them mentally stimulated and emotionally fulfilled? That’s what everyone should want in a caregiver! At the Middletown Home, our caregivers take great care to build relationships with residents. They often become so close that they feel like family, celebrating holidays and birthdays together and spending countless hours simply talking to one another.
- Takes initiative
Thirdly, a good caregiver takes initiative to solve problems and brings them to your attention before you may even know they exist. A caregiver is your eyes and ears when you cannot be with your loved one every day. You want to be able to rely upon them to speak up and alert you of anything they see that may be concerning. A good caregiver is a leader and self-starter who is proactive about the care your loved one receives. At the Middletown Home, our caregivers are encouraged to take initiative to problem solve and take it upon themselves to work with a resident until they find a solution.
- Patience, patience, patience!
We can’t overemphasis the importance of a caregiver having ample patience. When caring for a senior adult, it requires near endless patience to continue to show love and compassion through stressful and challenging moments. A good caregiver pours out patience over and over again to make your loved one feel appreciated, secure and loved. At the Middletown Home, our caregivers are carefully selected for their patience and compassion – it’s a skill that simply cannot be trained!
- Ability to see what someone CAN do
Finally, a good caregiver is someone who focuses on what their patient CAN do, not what they cannot. You want a caregiver who looks for ways to overcome your aging loved one’s limitations so that they can maintain as much independence as possible and experience a greater quality of life. At the Middletown Home, our caregivers pride themselves on finding creative ways, even through the smallest opportunities, to help our residents regain and maintain as much independence as possible.
Have you experienced working with a quality caregiver? What signs indicated that he or she was a caring and compassionate person? Share your insights by leaving a comment below!