Careful hiring of home-care personnel protects elderly

The population also is growing due to the fact that seniors are living longer than people have at any other time in history.

It is imperative to enable the elderly to remain in their homes for as long as possible before they must be placed in nursing homes.

Staying at home allows the aged to remain independent. Seniors feel more comfortable and at ease, because home is a familiar environment. All of their lifetime treasures surround them, providing peace of mind and memories of precious moments in the past.

Home-care organizations are key, in many cases, to enabling seniors to stay in their homes.

A home-care company will employ companions and in-home aides to help with cleaning, shopping, companionship, meal preparation and transportation to appointments with physicians.

Also available are live-ins, who actually live with seniors 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Personal care services, such as bathing, will be provided by nurse aides. Licensed practical nurses and registered nurses will be utilized if medical care is required. Physical therapists, speech therapists, social workers and jobs of a similar professional nature also might be needed.

Most of the time, these in-home caregivers are alone in the seniors’ homes while care is being given. Some clients will have debilitating memory diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, leaving them more prone to be taken advantage of by someone who is not trustworthy.

Therefore, it is critical to make accurate selection choices, as well as decisions regarding which team member would be best suited for each client.

Experience is a must, as well as the proper education and licenses for advanced positions in the medical field. For companion and in-home aide jobs, the experience might consist of caring for a loved one, such as a child, aging parent or elderly neighbor.

References and background reviews will supply additional information on applicants.

The Family Care Registry needs to be perused to ensure job candidates are not automatically disqualified. In addition, other qualification lists must be examined and criminal record checks obtained.

Certain personality traits will be critical for an individual to possess in order to be successful and worthy of trust in providing home care. During an interview, it must be determined whether or not the applicant has these needed characteristics. Be sure to find a person who is caring, considerate, dependable, encouraging, flexible, trustworthy, self-motivated and conscientious. The candidate also must be customer-service oriented and able to work independently.

Once hired, the associate should receive a solid orientation and any additional training that might be necessary to perform his job or effectively furnish needs that are very specific to a client. Supervisors should conduct regular visits to the home in order to assess the performance of the worker and the satisfaction of the elderly client.

Positive feedback, coaching, retraining or discipline should be provided to the team member, depending upon the performance evaluation.

Caring for the elderly in their homes is an enormous responsibility for a home care company. To ensure the right people are hired and retained, be sure to utilize a comprehensive selection process and provide regular, in-home employee reviews.

Lynne Haggerman is president/owner of Haggerman & Associates, a firm specializing in management training, retained search, outplacement and human resource consulting.

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