Will I need to assist the live-in carer
Will I need to assist the carer with any tasks is a question that often comes to mind when you start your search for a live-in carer. In the UK, there’s an estimated 850,000 elderly people living with a form of Dementia and for many, their diagnosis means they may need support in their daily life. Whilst care homes provide care to their clients, a sudden change of surrounding and new faces can be extremely distressing to those living with Dementia, especially in the later stages. This makes care homes a less attractive option to ensure your parent or loved one is living the best life they can at all times. Live-in care provides specialist, bespoke care to the client in their comfort and familiarity of their own home. If you want to find out more about the role and duties of a live-in carer, click here.
All live-in carers are trained to a high standard and are equipped with everything that they need to effectively care for their client, whatever their need. Something that we often hear from children of the client is ‘will I need to assist the live-in carer with anything’.
In short, our carers won’t need support from you in caring for your parent. But there are a few things that you can do prior to the carer beginning their assignment.
Make sure you parent are informed
It’s important your parent knows a carer will be moving into their home and will be providing them with the support they need. Not understanding who the carer is or why they’re in their home can lead to your parent feeling unnecessary confusion and distress. Telling your parent that they need a carer can be a tricky and sensitive conversation to have. To help you better navigate the conversation, we created a guide walking you through the steps, and offering advice on what to do at different obstacles.
It isn’t uncommon for those living with Dementia to feel scared, unsure of their surroundings and the people around them. Something that we recommend is having somewhere to write down the names of all the important people in their life i.e., the names of themselves, their partner, children and their carer. Also, include the date, when loved ones will visit next etc.
Helping the carer to have all the information that they need
Before a carer is assigned to your parent, the person registering with Country Cousins, will be asked to provide any relevant documents required. You will be asked about your parent’s likes and dislikes, any allergy or nutritional information etc. As with anything, your parent will need to give consent to releasing any private information. You will also need to ensure that the carer has access to the name and address of their registered doctors or any other relevant medical contacts. If they are not in a sound mental capacity to do so, their power of attorney, spouse or children must give consent.
Providing the carer with all the information they need reduces their time spent on this, allowing them to focus on caring and supporting for your parent.
Being on hand should you be needed in case of emergency
Every one of our carers is fully trained and knows how to correctly respond in times of emergency. Should you need to be contacted in an emergency, it is imperative you make sure the carer has up-to-date phone numbers for your parent’s emergency contact list. If you can, provide the carer with multiple points of contact including home landlines, personal mobile and work phone numbers so they have multiple points of contact.
Continue to visit your parent
A symptom of Dementia is memory loss and whilst it isn’t something that everyone who lives with Dementia will experience, it is a common symptom and can often worsen through the later stages. By visiting your parent on a regular basis, you’ll not only be helping them to remember faces and names but retain memory skills as seeing familiar faces can help them to retain information for longer and also connect the dots and recall information.
Similarly, as we age, socialising can become difficult as family and friends sadly pass away or become busy in their own lives. Regardless of external factors, socialising and being active in our elderly years help keeps our brains active and healthy. With the visiting of loved ones and the carer living in their home, your parent will always have someone to talk to. At Country Cousins, we offer companion care where the carer focuses on becoming a trusted and friendly part of your parents day as well as live-in care.
