3 Tips For Your Loved One's First Week Of Home Care
If you have a loved one who has to start receiving care in their home on a daily basis, this could be a very big transition for them and for you. If you want to ensure that their new daily routine gets off to a good start, you should go into this process with an idea of what to expect. Here are three tips to keep in mind in order to ensure your loved one's first week of home care goes smoothly.
Let Them Know You Are Still Around
If you were previously your loved one's primary caregiver, getting a full-time or even part-time home care specialist might provide you with an opportunity to take a break or leave the house for a bit from time to time. If you are going to do this though, make sure your loved one doesn't feel like you are just handing them off to someone else. Try to be present as much as possible, especially in the early going and communicate where you are going and when you will be back if you will be leaving your loved one with the home care specialist.
Start Creating Routines
Home care professionals can do their jobs more effectively if your loved one knows what to expect on a daily basis. If there is still time before the home care professional begins working for you, do what you can to set up a daily routine right now. Perhaps your loved one can take a bath or shower at the same time every day, eat food at the same time every day or take their medication at specific intervals. Setting up a regular routine will get your loved one used to the idea of having someone do specific things for them on a regular basis.
Offer Freedom Where You Can
If your loved one can still move around safely on their own, don't make them feel like they are a prisoner in their own house. In other words, they don't have to just sit in a room with the caregiver and stare at the wall or TV all day. Let them do some baking in the kitchen or bird watching in the backyard if it is safe for them to do so. If an occasional field trip outside of the house is a possibility, let them know you'll take them somewhere maybe once a week or every other weekend.
Contact a home care service, like Elkview General Hospital, today for more information.
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