In this article: 

• 5 Qualities a Great Caregiver for Seniors Should Possess
• Your next steps to hiring a caregiver

Is there a senior in your life who would benefit from home care? When hiring a caregiver, you want to ensure that your loved one has the best care. As you explore your home care options, remember the qualities you should look for in a great senior caregiver.

The Top 5 Qualities a Great Caregiver for Seniors Should Possess

How do you evaluate a caregiver? Start by looking for someone who has the following five characteristics.

Patience

Caring for seniors requires patience. If you’ve been caring for your loved one already, you’re familiar with how stressful and tiring caregiving can be. Look for a caregiver who has the patience needed to perform this job.

Compassion

Great caregivers aren’t only patient, but they’re also compassionate. A truly great caregiver has an emotional connection to their work and enjoys spending time with the people they care for. If possible, schedule an introductory meeting between a senior and the caregiver to ensure their personalities match.

Reliability

There’s nothing worse than receiving a last-minute call that your caregiver can’t make it to or just finding that they don’t show up one day. When you hire a caregiver, that caregiver needs to be highly dependable, especially if you’re not available to cover for them when they cannot make it.

At Cahoon Care, we carefully select caregivers who understand the importance of their jobs and who are highly reliable. If a caregiver gets sick or, for some other reason, can’t care for your loved one day, we’ll work to find another caregiver to step in so temporarily you don’t have to worry about your loved one going without care.

Knowledge

Seniors often have medical conditions that require specific care. Seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia also need specialized care. A caregiver needs the knowledge, training, and experience to provide the quality care that your loved one needs.

Cahoon Care offers specialized expertise in Alzheimer’s and dementia care. We develop a customized care plan for each client and may incorporate activities such as storytelling, doing puzzles, scrapbooking, and more. Additionally, we may include therapies including music, pet, reiki, weighted blanket, and other alternative options.

Trustworthiness

It takes a lot of trust to invite a caregiver into your home and to entrust them with caring for your loved one. When hiring a caregiver, always listen to your gut instinct and be sure to have a background check performed, check references, and find someone who you can trust.

At Cahoon Care, we carefully screen and perform criminal background checks on any caregiver we hire, so these precautions are already completed for you. Many of our caregivers connect with us through word of mouth from our existing home care team. Additionally, we call 3 to 5 prior client references to verify the quality of every caregiver we add to our team.

Your Next Steps to Hiring a Caregiver

Are you ready to progress with the process of hiring a caregiver? Please contact us today. We would be happy to answer any questions about home care, discuss your loved one’s needs, and find a perfect caregiver for your loved one.