How to support and work with your personal care worker

Submitted by Emma Hamilton on Wed, 11/06/2008 - 2:19pm

Families can often feel daunted by the arrival of a personal home care assistant for the first time. Home care assistants will spend a lot of time at home alone with your family member.

It is normal to feel apprehensive about having a stranger in the home. For many carers this may mean a change in carer roles.

Over time most carers and their ageing family members adjust to outside care and most enjoy forming a close bond with their new carers.

Talk it over with your nursing assistant

Plan to be with your family member for the first day. Spend time showing the carer around the house. Let them know where everything is. Explain a family member's likes and dislikes, preferences for showering, eating and relaxing.

Small routines you do everyday without thinking can make a big difference to an older person and bring lots of comfort. Write up any known routines and for people with dementia unusual behaviours and how you normally manage them.

Share any cultural or religious differences or possible language problems early on. Ask your family member how they would like to be addressed. Some people with dementia revert back to their original language. Ask for a nursing assistant who speaks the same language as a family member.

A carer will appreciate any information you can give them. Keep in mind they are also professionals with lots of experience so give them a little space to do their job. You can always leave the house for a period and return unannounced or phone in to check if there are any problems.

Understand the nursing assistant's role

A variety of health care professionals can be involved in the care of your ageing family member at home. Be sure you and a carer know exactly what expectations you have and what their role is.

To avoid confusion, ask the carer what they can and cannot do. Most personal care assistants can manage and have training in personal hygiene tasks, helping with meals and communicating with someone with dementia.

They don't have training in medication management, complex wound dressings or taking vital signs. However, personal care attendents may help an older person administer their own medication by bringing them a medication pack.

Knowing the roles of the various health care professionals who visit the home can help you manage your family member's care.

Registered nurses, physiotherapists and allied health will spend less time with your family member than a home health care aid. Keep a record of who visits when and any contact numbers.

Make use of a nursing care plan

If your family member is being cared for at home they will have a care plan. A care plan gives a detailed description of all of your family member's health care needs.

It should have clear guidelines indicating what actions to take in order to fulfil these needs and reach set health care goals. Ensure a carer understands your family member's physical and mental capabilities by reading the care plan.

If staff are sick and you have a new carer or you go on holidays this care plan will be an invaluable tool.

It is also a good idea to keep a communication book. Your personal care worker can then write family or other carers a brief message about the day or any health care changes or upcoming appointments.

Home health care can be very valuable for people who may otherwise be isolated in the family home and strong bonds will often be made between carers and ageing family members.

Keep in mind that home health care assistants perform a service and that the relationship is still a professional one.