How to be a Successful Home Caregiver

Deciding to become a home caregiver is a wonderful and rewarding choice. This job however, is not an easy one for anyone. Most individuals opt to become a home caregiver when a loved one or relative becomes to sick to care for themselves and they are unable to afford outside care.

Whether you fall into the above category or not, here you will find a simple guide on how to be successful, as a home caregiver.

Instructions

• 1

  Get your training and educate yourself on your patients. There are many services and programs that offer caregiver training, whether you intend to be a home caregiver, work for a home care agency or in an actual facility. (Often facility based caregiver's will be required to meet specific qualifications in order to obtain a position.)

  If you intend to deal or specialize as a caretaker of individual suffering certain ailments then you need to understand those conditions, completely.

• 2

  Find out what changes you need to make and what you will require, equipment wise etc., to ensure patient safety. This stands to reason whether you provide home caregiver services in your home or the patients.

  Some easy to overlook changes are safety bar in the shower and walkways, wheelchair ramps, as well as bedrails if a hospital bed is not provided.

• 3

  Know your limitations. Do not take on care giving patients or positions where you feel you will not be able to handle the situation.

  Some individuals do not feel they can handle positions that deal with children or other age groups or even patients suffering specific diseases and conditions. This is ok.

• 4

  Give yourself personal time. This rings especially true if you are providing care in your home or caring for a relative or loved one.

  If you do not allow yourself to step outside of the situation and have time where the only person you have to look after is you, it is very easy to get frustrated and put off by your position as a caregiver.

• 5

  Join a support group. If you happen to be overcome by your job whether due to the actual job itself or the particular case or person you are providing home care for, a support group may be able to help.

  You get to visit and talk with like minded individuals who may share a lot of the worries, woes and frustrations that you are facing. This connection may provide useful tips and advice on how to best cope with the situation.

• 6

  Take care of yourself. Care giving can entail a lot of physical labor and requirements and if you don't take care of yourself through proper diet and exercise you may be limiting your capabilities and putting your patients in jeopardy.

• 7

  Be hands on with your patient's doctors or physicians. As a home caregiver you need to be in the loop regarding any new diagnosis, medication changes or findings that may arise. This also gives you the ability to discuss any new changes or developments that are occurring with the patient.