4 ways to facilitate the transition into live-in care for a loved one

Transitioning to live-in care for an elderly loved one is not always easy. Many people don't exactly know what to expect, so they’re naturally opposed to the idea at first. However, as our parents and senior loved ones get older, the time will eventually come when they will require assistance with everyday activities.

At Miami Valley Homecare, we understand that there’s no way to completely remove the worries and fears that come when getting a professional live-in care service for your senior loved one. But at the end of the day, you would feel a lot better knowing that someone is there with them providing the assistance they need.

That’s why we’ve put together this quick guide on how to ease the transition. Here’s what you need to know.

1. Talk about it with your elderly loved one

There’s no avoiding this stage. Even if the conversation doesn’t immediately go as planned initially, it’s important to have this talk. After all, you’re asking them to open their home to someone and allow that person to assist them with things like meal preps, laundry, errands, cleaning, and so on.

Explain what live-in care is and why the service is needed at this point in their life. Doing this provides them with the opportunity to make requests about the service. Discuss also the needed type of care, the dos and don'ts for the caregiver in your loved one’s home, and other preferences.

Openly discussing live-in care with your loved one can mentally prepare him or her for the move while allowing them to have a say in what’s to come.

2. Screen the live-in caregiver

This is for your own peace of mind. You know what type of care your loved one needs. Use that as a benchmark when evaluating live-in caregivers. You can sleep much better at night knowing that the person taking care of your senior loved one has been thoroughly screened and they know what they’re doing.

Check if they have the necessary training, experience, and whether they have a good attitude towards the job. Remember, they’ll be living in the home of your loved one and will be spending a lot of time with them so pay good attention to this.

You can also take this opportunity to brief the live-in caregiver about your loved one — their likes, dislikes, habits, hobbies, allergies, existing medical conditions, and even their daily routine.

At Miami Valley Homecare, our live-in caregivers are professionally trained and are readily available to provide assistance round the clock. They handle everything from food preparation to cleaning to personal care for your loved one.

3. Set up a getting-to-know session

Before officially starting the live-in care service, set up a getting-to-know session between your loved one and caregiver. In this way, your loved one can have the chance to feel comfortable and adjust to the upcoming changes.

Encourage your loved one to interact with the person, and then sit back and observe. This allows you to evaluate if the caregiver will be a good fit. Doing this also ensures that everyone gets a general sense of what to expect once the transition begins.

4. Have a trial week

Before fully committing to a live-in care situation, negotiate for a trial week. You cannot fully control how your loved one will respond to having a caregiver in their home, so having a trial week can be a great way to convince them further.

This serves as a transition period to see if live-in care is right for your loved one or if there are necessary adjustments.

Call us today

Are you considering live-in care for your elderly loved one? Miami Valley Homecare provides personalized home care assistance to seniors in Centerville, Kettering, Xenia, Beavercreek, Fairborn, Oakwood, and Dayton, Ohio.

Call us at 937-671-2273 or fill out our contact form to set up your appointment.