Your senior loved one has decided to age at home, and you realize in-home care is the best way to keep them safe while aging in place. Once you’ve hired a caregiver, it’s important to build a relationship and work together to help your relative age happily and healthily.

Forming a strong partnership with your loved one’s caregiver can help improve the care they receive — from both of you — while providing you with peace of mind. Learn more about establishing trust, setting expectations, and communicating with your family’s in-home care aide.

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Before hiring a caregiver, write a list of expectations and caregiver responsibilities. When interviewing potential aides, discuss your requirements and ask them to share theirs. By establishing expectations ahead of time, you’ll avoid surprises down the road. If you’ve already hired a caregiver, it’s never too late to have this conversation for an ongoing, smooth relationship.

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To start sharing stories with your loved one’s caregiver and encourage person-centered care, you can:

• Write down favorite memories you’ve shared with your relative
• List their accomplishments and strengths
• Make a list of events they talk about often — do they bring up the time they starred in a theater production? Do they regularly mention their history in the military?
• Think about traditions your relative enjoys and ways they can be incorporated into caregiver routines.

In-home care can be deeply personal: activities of daily living, like bathing, dressing, and hygiene may be uncomfortable or scary without a level of trust between a senior and their caregiver. It’s important for you to build trust with your loved one’s home care aide, as well.

Home care aides are familiar with elder care and know how to handle situations that may be new to you. But you know your aging loved one best. Maybe your mom has lost interest in eating and is having trouble getting proper nutrition — a home care aide may have tips and tricks to encourage appetite, while you’re the expert on your mom’s favorite foods, which set of dishes she prefers, and the time of day she likes to eat.

If you’re ready to partner with an in-home caregiver to help your loved one age in place safely, reach out to our free Senior Living Advisors to learn more about home care agencies in your area.