A Guide to Your First Day with a New Home Health Aide

Even when you’ve done all the research and found a home health aide service provider you can trust, it’s absolutely normal to feel a little uncertain or anxious for the first day. After all, you’re inviting a new person into your home. Here are some suggestions for making this transition a little easier and more enjoyable, from the team at UMC Homeworks.

Spend Time to Get to Know One Another

On the day the home health aide arrives, have a nice sit on the couch together to get acquainted. Most good home health agencies will have already screened your caregiver and matched them to your background and personality, but it is still important for you to get a feeling for who they are. You can show them around the house, answer any questions and, of course, talk about their role. It is often a good idea to have loved ones present the first day to meet the caregiver and make sure they connect and the lines of communication are open. 

Explain your Ground Rules

Everyone’s home is different, and everyone deserves to feel comfortable and secure in their home. Take the time to explain to your caregiver what you or your loved one likes and the various traditions and rules around the home, so that they can settle into a routine quickly and everyone feels comfortable being themselves. By providing honest feedback about daily habits and what is and is not acceptable in the home, everyone is going to feel happier and more at ease.

Have Some Fun

A good home health aide should provide both assistance and amusement! They don’t have to be a standup comic, but the best will find a way to lift the spirits of those under their care. Remember, they are there for companionship as much as for the cooking, cleaning, and heath care assistance that is their primary charge. If you are the family member arranging this, you should be aware of the chemistry that exists between your relative and the caregiver and feel confident that the relationship will be positive, supportive and fun!

 Special Needs Require Special Considerations

If you’re arranging for a caregiver for your loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia, the caregiver should have specialized training to deal with the needs of the memory impaired. On their first day together, you or the previous caregiver should spend lots of time going over the established routine. Routine is important and changes — even good ones — can be a struggle for the memory impaired. For seniors with memory issues, good communication with family members is essential.

Our Home Health Aide Services Bring People Together to Help Seniors Thrive

As part of United Methodist Communities, a faith based, non-profit organization in New Jersey, we offer at-home care for the elderly through trained, experienced nursing and certified home health aides that provide temporary or long-term care for seniors. When you want to be sure that aides you hire are professional, and fully screened, UMC with its long history of bringing health care to seniors in NJ, is second to none.

Our in-home care services cover everything from medical assistance, companionship and help around the home to 24-hour care, depending on exactly what you and your loved one require. No other senior services organization in New Jersey offers the continuum of care like we do. And all our services are scalable and by-the-hour, allowing you to develop a custom care plan.

For more information on our home health aide services in New Jersey, please contact us today or visit our website at https://homeworks.umcommunities.org/Home-Heath-Aid-services. 

originally posted https://homeworks.umcommunities.org/blog/a-guide-to-your-first-day-with-a-new-home-health-aide/