Hiring in-home care can be overwhelming – you want the best fit as soon as possible. Where do you begin? What are the most important things to look for?

Caregiver Basics

First and foremost, your caregiver needs to have what it takes to do his or her job. That might sound obvious but it requires you to really sit down and think about what tasks are most important to you and what that means for the caregiver. For example, will he or she be helping you shower? If so, do you prefer a man or a woman? Consider how mobile you will be: Is a potential candidate strong enough to lift you in and out of chairs or the bath? The most experienced and kind caregiver who is not able to lift a patient who needs to be lifted is simply not a good fit. Focus your search on the traits you need and you are sure to find your match quickly.

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Caregiver Chemistry

Your caregiver is going to become a major part of your life, spending many hours with you and your family and sharing in intimate moments from helping you up in the morning to attending family functions and more. During each interview, focus on not only the candidate’s professional qualifications, but also on the personality vibe you get from him or her. Is this someone you can see yourself watching TV with? Spending several hours a week with, alone in your home?

Depending on your specific case and needs, you may want to confirm that your caregiver is more of a morning person or night person, depending on when you’ll need the most help or which time of day is generally more challenging for you and when you could use the most support. What type of energy do you anticipate making your day brighter? Are you looking for someone high energy to lift your spirits, or low key to calm anxieties? These are important and completely legitimate considerations that deserve a few moments of thought and even discussion with loved ones.

Best Caregiver Qualities

No matter who you choose, you always want a caregiver who is patient and pays attention. This means someone who is really there for you, who is focused on you and your well-being. Your caregiver should be flexible, and understanding that recovering is an unpredictable process and that there will be harder days and easier days, during all of which he or she is there to support you 100 percent. And last but certainly not least, caregivers should be compassionate. These are people who have made a career out of caring – caring for you and your family, putting your health and well-being first and foremost on their list of daily priorities. This should always be apparent in word and deed, from the first interview until the last day working together.

Abcor knows that basic skills to a personality that clicks, as well as patience, flexibility and compassion are critical for caregivers. Abcor pays special attention to all of these elements in its hiring process in order to very quickly find you the very best partner in your journey back to complete health.