Who Are You Letting in Your Home

By CarePatrol of Greater Saint Louis

The relationship between a caregiver and their client must be built upon a tremendous amount of trust and respect. Oftentimes, caregivers help clients with personal and intimate activities like bathing and dressing. The personal nature of these activities makes a strong relationship an absolute must.

Finding and hiring an aide, personal attendant or caregiver can be an extremely difficult task. It can be tremendously devastating when you realize your loved one is no longer able to care for themselves independently. You may be overwhelmed with emotions ranging from anger to helplessness. On top of all of this, most of us have never been in charge of hiring someone to help a friend or loved one with extremely personal activities.

Who Are You Putting Your Trust In

Amazon announced they would be starting a program where couriers would be able to leave packages inside the homes of the online retailer’s customers. Amazon customers would have the option to equip their doors with specialized locks giving couriers the ability to leave packages inside the customer's home, as long as the customer opted into the program. The courier delivering the package is subject to a full background check and the entire delivery process is recorded and uploaded to Amazon servers for safekeeping.

When this new program was announced most major forms of media were bursting at the seams with reports of people who were appalled at the idea of having a stranger deliver packages inside their home unattended.

If having a package delivered to the inside of a home by a stranger evokes this kind of reaction from the masses, why is it so many people hire unknown caregivers using classified ads sites like Craigslist? When the need for a personal aide, personal attendant or caregiver arises many people simply have no clue where to start.

Finding themselves in a new and overwhelming situation, they go with what they know and begin their search on sites like Craigslist where anyone who has the inclination to put together an ad can promote their services, regardless of their expertise or background.

Where to Begin Your Search

If you were to ask someone in the market for a personal aide if hiring an unknown individual using a website that allows you to buy and sell everything from puppies to pool tables is a good idea, their answer would certainly be a resounding “No”. Instead of searching on classified ad sites, reaching out to private duty in-home care companies is the best way to start.

Private duty or in-home care companies are a good avenue to explore if you are in the market for a trustworthy caregiver. In-home healthcare companies typically employ caregivers or aides that are bonded and insured. It is also likely that they will have access to caregivers of all skill levels. So, if you're looking for someone to provide a little bit of extra help getting dressed in the morning or you need someone with the technical skills of a nurse, a reputable home health company should be able to connect you with an attendant that meets your needs.

If you choose to go another route, make sure to do a background check.  In Missouri if you hire a person that does not work for an agency you will have to pay taxes;  take that into consideration to see if it is truly less expensive than hiring a private duty company.

We Are Here for You

If you're not sure if a personal caregiver or aide would be the best for your needs, or if you are currently working with a caregiver but your loved one needs a little more help, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at CarePatrol.  We are here to help you make the best decision for your loved one.   sources: http://www.napsa-now.org/ http://ltcombudsman.org/about/about-ombudsman#Ombudsman http://theconsumervoice.org/home