Tip for Evaluating Home Health Aides: Look for a Good Listener
When evaluating home-health aides, you might assume that it’s important to look for training and compassion. And it certainly is, says Marki Flannery, president of Partners in Care, a home-care agency. But there’s another skill that helps a good aide be good: Listening.
That’s what home-health aide Jennifer Paul says in an article at The Huffington Post written by Flannery.
[Paul] is mindful that people she cares for are not only physically challenged but also often highly frustrated, stripped of their independence and privacy. “When you go into someone’s home, you have to give them a little space,” she explains. “Don’t just take over. Listen — really listen — to what they want.”
If the plan of care says a patient should get up at 6 a.m., for instance, but he or she really prefers to get up at 8 or 9, talk to the nurse about revisiting the plan of care. “If a patient really doesn’t like something, I try to understand what they’re saying and see if we can’t work accordingly,” says Jennifer.
The article, “Home Health Aides: Who Is Caring for You or Your Loved One?,” covers some typical characteristics of home-health aides and details what to look for. You can search for home-health aides here.
You may also be interested in:
- Background Checks Not Always Enough for Senior-Care Aides
- Choosing Home Health-Care? Watch Out for Braggers, Says Blogger
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Leigh Ann Otte is a freelance writer who specializes in health and aging issues. She covers finding and paying for senior care for OurParents.
