Being a caregiver can be both a rewarding and stressful experience. It takes a lot of patience, compassion, and diligence to properly care for someone else. So, it’s important to understand the basic skills and qualifications of being an exceptional caregiver and ways you can incorporate these skills into your practice. Whether you’re new to the caregiver role or have been a long-time caregiver, these tips are sure to help you provide the utmost care to your patients.
Show Dependability
As a caregiver, you are heavily depended on by your loved one. However, from a planning standpoint, schedules can change. If a situation like this arises, we recommend always having a backup plan to ensure your recipient of care’s needs will still be taken care of. Be sure to ask a trusted friend or family member who has caregiving experience to cover for you in your absence. Additionally, if that person needs more guidance, check out usa.gov/disability-caregiver; this website has many resources for all various types of unique health situations.
Have Great Time Management
Keeping track of your daily schedule can be challenging, let alone managing another. We recommend creating a detailed schedule of important tasks to complete. This is imperative because if you miss one step, potential mistakes could arise, like unmet hygiene needs, missed appointments, and the inability to access important needs when necessary. Feel free to use any of the below time management apps or any other tools to help with time management.
3. ianacare
Stay Physically Fit
Caregivers will perform all kinds of physical tasks, from carrying groceries to transferring individuals from multiple locations, maneuvering mobility equipment, and rearranging household items. Having impeccable strength and stamina are considered one of the highest necessities of being a caregiver. However, if you lack great physical strength, alternative options exist. Here are a few we recommend.
1. Stairlifts
2. Hoyer lifts
Always Be Flexible
Caring for the elderly is a lot like caring for infants, things can change at a moment’s notice. Having a versatile mindset will help you to handle the constant changes with grace. Being flexible also extends to your scheduling needs. Not all patients will require care during the standard Monday through, 9am to 5pm working hours.
Be Communicative
Being a caregiver entails communicating with the recipient of care regularly. You’ll be responsible for sharing important information with vital figures, such as doctors, friends, and family. If the person you are caring for is a mobility user, make sure to be extra communicative as they will need to frequently check in with their doctor and or therapist to ensure their medical needs are being met.
Show Respect
Always be respectful and courteous to who you care for, after all they are welcoming you into their life and giving you the upmost trust. It’s also important to remember that while the person may be in a mental or physical decline, they once were a person capable of independence. Showing respect and gratitude will go a long way to establishing a strong and healthy relationship with the person in your charge.
Have Empathy
If you are naturally compassionate towards others, a critical part of being a caregiver is precisely that. You must be able to connect with the recipient of care physically and emotionally, which requires empathy and a lot of emotional intelligence. But that’s not to say having compassion is difficult; it just means you need to take extra time to truly understand their needs so you can support them mentally, physically, and emotionally when the time comes.
Be as Observant as Possible
Being able to effectively communicate with the person in your care regarding their needs is crucial but it’s also important to take that extra step to ensure needs aren’t being overlooked. Make sure you are aware of your client’s nonverbal cues like changes in their daily habits or interests. These changes will need to be reported to their physician as they can become severe if not treated. Additionally, you’ll want to keep a lookout for environmental hazards such as potential tripping or falling incidents and fire hazards.
Taking on the role of a caregiver can be a big and time-consuming task, but when you follow these steps and genuinely care for the safety and well-being of others, the reward will be immense. For additional resources and training on how to be a caregiver, check the official USAGov website regarding disability services.