How do you know when it’s the right time to hire a home care provider? The answer is simple: the time is now.
If you’re considering it, then there’s no time like the present to start the process.
So while the answer “now” is a simple one, the process is a little more complicated. Here’s why.
Caregivers often struggle with asking for help. And it’s usually not because they don’t need it, because so many caregivers today are also working full- or part-time, raising a family, and maintaining a house — in addition to the heavy load of caregiving.
But the thought of asking for help — even if the goal is to lighten that load — seems like just another thing caregivers don’t have time for. It seems time-consuming and potentially frustrating: phone calls? paperwork? research? Interviews? And worst of all, what if it’s disappointing? What if the work and time doesn’t lead to a good fit?
These are all legitimate questions and concerns, however, they all point to the “now” answer. Because when you feel you can’t add one more thing to your plate, even if it’s going to help you in the long run, that’s when you should bring in home care.
First of all, it takes time to get started. There is some paperwork, and there will be some phone calls and interviews too. It may even take a few visits for everyone to feel comfortable with each other and have a clear sense of roles and responsibilities.
Next, once that new caregiver is in place, she’ll have to get to know your or your loved one’s home. She’ll have to get to know the routines. She’ll have to find out what your mother prefers to have for lunch, or how your grandfather takes his coffee. There’s a period of adjustment for everyone, including you as the caregiver, as you shift some of your responsibilities and delegate parts of your caregiving day to that person.
This is all part of the process and well worth the effort, because when you have another person on your care team that you can rely on, when you have someone you can trust, when you have another pair of hands and ears and eyes to support you in your caregiving role — it’s priceless. Think of the time you’re putting into this process as an investment: one that will provide great returns for all involved. For example…
- The next time a friend invites you out for lunch, you can say yes!
- The next time you get a reminder of an upcoming doctor’s appointment you’ve been putting off for yourself, you can confirm with a Y instead of an N.
- The next time you wake up feeling unsure about just how you’ll get through another day and night of providing hands-on care, you can breathe a little easier knowing you get a break in the afternoon when the new caregiver arrives.
Change your mindset from “this will be too much work” or “I’m not ready yet” or “so many things could go wrong” and instead, think of “this might help in ways I didn’t imagine possible” or “this might be really good for my relationship with mom” or “this might allow me to get some much needed respite.”
Fill in the blank with whatever positive outcome comes to mind, and keep that in the forefront as you take the first step. Keep that in mind when you feel discouraged or overwhelmed. Because pretty soon, you might be asking yourself: “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”
Take the next step! We’d love to talk about how we can meet your caregiving needs. Contact us today.