Know the value of your caregiver

Your caregiver comes and goes, but how do you know whether they're taking care of your loved ones the way that you'd like them to? Here are a few things to focus on.

• Is the quality of life getting better for your loved one? While quality of life can be difficult to measure, some of the best predictors of a high quality of life are ability to perform daily activities, being healthy, and autonomy (freedom and independence). A great caregiver should help improve all of these.

• Are they adhering to the caregiving plan? To ensure that your loved ones are receiving the attention they need, caregivers need to adhere to the set of activities that you’ve listed for them (e.g. ensuring that your loved one takes their medicines on time).

• Are there any signs that the caregiver is not meeting your needs? First, you should always ensure that your caregiver has passed a background check. Use an agency that you trust, or work with a caregiver with a validated background. Stay in contact with your loved one to see if your current agency or caregivers are working, or if a change needs to be made.

• After the caregiver visits, you should ask your loved one about any incidents that occurred and check for any signs of mistreatment.

• Is the caregiver reliable? If you are not in the house, it can be difficult to verify whether your caregiver has shown up on time and worked the proper number of hours. While you can ask your loved one, it is helpful to have a tracking system or use some sort of technology to ensure compliance from the caregiver.

CareCheetah can help you answer these questions and more. Ready to get started? Please click on this link!