Not every caregiver will be the right fit; sometimes. It doesn’t have to be anyone’s fault, but it is essential to find someone who can build a relationship with your loved one and you as a family member. There are times when it just takes a little getting used to, especially if your elderly family member is the one causing the issues. A lot goes into hiring someone that is a perfect fit for your family, lifestyle, and schedule. There could be personality clashes, neglect, and of course, a stubborn loved one. If there are issues with the caregiver, there is a need to draw boundaries, hard truths to be spoken, and maybe parting ways. Here are a few ways to efficiently and respectfully handle challenging situations with a caregiver.
Assess: Be sure that You are Not the Problem
Having an elderly loved one, who requires professional care, can bring out high emotions. This could cause problems with the caregiver or the loved one. Dealing with a stranger is challenging and can pose a problem, but if you can diagnose that you are causing these issues, you can move forward and try to create a better relationship with the caregiver.
Honestly Talk with the Caregiver
After speaking civilly and honestly with the caregiver, if you assess the problem, you can take the next necessary steps with the caregiver on what to do. If it is a serious situation, such as theft, abuse, etc., you need to part ways with this toxic caregiver. It could also be something manageable to handle and be fixed with communication and supervision. You can also bring in elderly loved one, talk with them, see how they feel about the caregiver, and decide what decisions you are thinking of making. They may have more insight since they are the ones building a rapport with the caregiver.
Measure their Response
Mistakes happen, but how they handle the after-effects and how they respond can tell you a lot about that person. After taking the significant step of speaking to the caregiver on what is not working, see how they react to your advice and what you would like them to do differently. Their next steps are what is your deciding factor on if they are a good fit or not.
Letting Them Go
Don’t feel guilty about letting a caregiver that you think doesn’t work with your loved one go. Your loved one is the most important, and if you feel that the caregiver isn’t doing their job correctly or efficiently, it is not a good fit. The caregiver will get upset, but you want to stay calm and handle them with composed emotion. Be sure not to be defensive. You want to stick to the script of letting them go.
Offer to Give References
Sometimes, caregivers aren’t a good fit for different reasons, but they could be a great caregiver for another family. Be sure to make it clear that you will provide references in the future to help with finding a replacement job. This usually could calm them down if they are visibly upset about being let go. You could also try and help them find their next placement. Maybe you have a friend or another family member that you know they would fit perfectly with.
Give Advice on How to Improve
If you handle this situation with high emotions, this will not help your caregiver improve at their job. Give them advice; ensure that you are only trying to help them. Provide them with tips and strategies to ensure that they can become a better caregiver. Be sure to be respectful with your approach to ensure you don’t feel like you’re trying to offend them. You want to end this on sound and friendly terms.
Conclusion
Remember that not every caregiver is the right fit for your lifestyle, schedule, and, most importantly, your loved one. Of course, going through something like caring for a loved one does raise emotions, which could cause issues between you and the caregiver; these issues can be quickly resolved. But there could be deeper rooted issues that could cause you to part ways with your caregiver. Before letting your caregiver go, you want to ensure it is the right thing to do. Talk with your loved one, other family members; sometimes, it is a good idea to get an outsider’s opinion. TLC Home Care will provide you with a fitting caregiver, but they understand that not everyone fits. They will help find you the right person who can work with your loved one without an issue and take criticism effectively.