Matching Caregivers Based on Personality and Etiquette

Some of the most important qualities of excellent caregivers are not learned through professional education or experience, but come from within. I am talking about the caregiver's personality, which can make the difference between a caregiver who can help enrich the lives of clients, and one who might create an unpleasant situation. Here at ACS we pride ourselves on choosing caregivers who have the proper etiquette, manners, and sensitivity to give excellent service. We understand that home care is a very personal choice to make, and only want to supply caregivers that clients would always feel comfortable with in their homes.

In choosing a caregiver with the right personality and etiquette, there are many things to be considered. First of all, punctuality is very important. Depending on how extensive the needs of a client is, the punctuality of a caregiver could be a very crucial factor. Secondly, one should try to get a sense of a caregiver's respect and sensitivity. A caregiver with rude manners, for example, one who brings up unpleasant and controversial topics of discussion, could cause major problems in the home.

These personality traits can sometimes be hard to uncover, and for someone trying to hire a caregiver without the aid of an agency, it can be a very tough process. This is one way ACS can help smooth out the caregiver search. Our application and assignment process provides ample insight into caregivers' punctuality, etiquette, and sensitivity, helping to ensure that those who we assign to clients would never cause an unfortunate social situation. Also, after a caregiver has been assigned, ACS can serve as a mediator between clients and caregivers who have any personality clashes. If any of our clients have a problem with a caregiver, they can let us know. For those who hire caregivers privately, there is no one else to help smooth out such problems. This is one major advantage of choosing an agency like ACS.

Private Hire Caregivers or Agencies?

In choosing the right non-medical home care plan, there are many things to consider. Those considering home care will ponder such questions as: What level of care do I need? What can I afford? How can I know that my caregiver is trustworthy? All of these questions lead to a very tough decision, but fortunately, there are numerous alternatives to choose from that can be beneficial for each individual situation.

There are different varieties of home care services offered by both agencies and individual caregivers. For example, a person might choose to independently hire a caregiver, for example, from classified ads. While direct hiring is probably the cheapest alternative in terms of money, care seekers choosing direct hire will face the costs of time and effort, such as the amount of time spent in finding an appropriate caregiver and the effort needed to comply with the legal obligations of employment and tax reporting. Another alternative would be to go with a full service home care agency. Full service agencies hire the caregivers that they offer to clients as employees. These caregivers are usually bonded by the agencies. Bonding can offer an advantage for care seekers worried about the risk of damages occurring during care, for example by caregiver theft, but this feature also adds significantly to the costs of care. When considering how important bonding would be to you, keep in mind that homeowner’s insurance can cover many of the same damages that bonding would cover, so consult your insurance provider if you have one. Full service agencies will take care of caregiver tax reporting, and might also be able to perform services like billing insurance, which is really useful for some clients, but like bonding, also raises the cost of service. For care seekers who are concerned about the risks of direct hiring, but aren’t willing to pay for features such as bonding or insurance billing, there are registry agencies, like ACS, that offer a kind of middle ground between direct hiring, and full service agencies. The caregivers working with registry agencies are not employees of the agency, and instead are independent contractors. Registry agencies perform many of the same functions of full service agencies, such as screening, interviewing and performing background checks on caregivers, but avoid some of the more expensive features that put full service agencies out of the price range of many Americans. Working with ACS, just like with a full service agency, clients will also avoid having to spend time on a caregiver’s tax reporting, because ACS gets this done through an independent payroll service.

How can you tell which choice is right for you? It depends on your budget and the services you need. If you are someone who wants to conserve cash, and doesn’t mind performing rigorous employment screenings, and doing the paperwork of reporting taxes for employees, direct hire could be your best choice. If you are someone who is willing to pay more to make sure that everything from bonding to insurance billing gets taken care of, you might want to go with a full service agency. And if you are someone in the middle of these two extremes, who wants much of the same quality assurance and convenience offered by a full service agency, for a price closer to that of a direct hire, you might want to go with a registry agency like ACS.

How to Tell if a Loved One with Dementia is Unsafe Alone

People with Alzheimers disease and other dementias can face difficulties and dangers in everyday activities that people without these problems might find hard to comprehend. For example, for someone with normal memory function, boiling a pot of water is not usually a dangerous activity. But for someone with memory problems or other cognitive issues brought on by dementia, there could be very serious risks of starting a fire. It's important for the families of dementia patients to realize that their loved ones can be in danger in places that most people would take for granted as totally safe. Depending on the severity of symptoms, it may not be safe for those with dementia to live alone. For guidance on how to judge whether or not a dementia patient is safe alone, and ways to help make these situations safer, check out the following links to articles by senior care expert Liz Macera:

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-9696-SF-Senior-Care-Examiner~y2009m10d7-Should-a-person-with-Alzheimers-disease-or-dementia-stay-home-alone

http://www.examiner.com/x-9696-SF-Senior-Care-Examiner~y2009m10d8-Fire-safety-at-home-with-a-person-who-has-dementia

The Home vs Care Facility Dilemma

As we all know, when people get older they can get used to certain things, and by the time people are seniors, they can get a little set in their ways. Seniors can get very used to where things are kept around the house, become accustomed to a favorite local restaurant, or have a certain routine that they comfortably follow in their homes. Because seniors do get accustomed to the environments they have known throughout their lives, it can be challenging when seniors needing daily assistance, have to move away from their homes and into care facilities. While there are some advantages to care facilities, such as the opportunity for seniors to meet new friends in their age group, moving into one can be a tough adjustment for seniors to make. Moving into a care facility is a major change that can take away many of the places and things that seniors have grown comfortable with over decades. This is one reason why in-home care, such as that provided by Accredited Caregiver Specialists, is an incredibly valuable service for many seniors. Polls of senior opinions have shown that most seniors would prefer to stay in their homes for as long as possible. And for seniors suffering from memory disorders, having a familiar place to live can make a positive difference in the quality of their lives. Home care services make it possible for seniors to live in their homes for longer, and Accredited Caregiver Specialists, by providing in home care for seniors at affordable rates, is committed to keeping seniors’ living options open.

Sources

http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/il/home_mod.pdf

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/conditions/02/07/alzheimers.facility/index.html

http://money.cnn.com/2000/05/09/senior_living/q_retire_seniors/