What is a caregiver?
A caregiver provides assistance in meeting the daily needs of another person. Responsibilities may range from bathing, dressing, assisting with mobility, preparing meals, dispensing medicines, and communicating with medical staff. Caregivers can be paid caregivers who have had training and education in providing care. This may include services from home health agencies and other trained professionals.
Family caregivers provide care usually without being paid. Caregivers may provide care for an aging parent, spouse, other relative, or unrelated person, or for an ill, or disabled person, often in the home. Caregiving tasks may include transportation, grocery shopping, housework, preparing meals. It may also involve help with getting dressed, getting out of bed, eating, and incontinence.
According to a 2020 report from the AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC), more than 1 in 5 Americans have provided care to either to a child with special needs or an adult in the past 12 months.
Most caregivers (89%) are related to the care recipient with about half caring for a parent. About 3 in 50 caregivers provide care to an adult child with special needs.
Family member or a private caregiver: What to consider
Caring for an ill, aging, or disabled person can be a rewarding experience. However, depending on the level of care needed and other demands on the caregiver's time and energy, it can also become an overwhelming responsibility. When this happens, it may be time to explore other home healthcare choices, like hiring a private caregiver. Here are some questions to ask yourself when considering a private caregiver:
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How much time is needed to help care for the individual at home? Is this likely to increase or decrease over time?
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What skill level is necessary to provide the best care for the individual at home?
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Are family members and friends capable of providing the necessary care without any one individual becoming overburdened?
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How does the ill, aging, or disabled individual feel about having a private caregiver assist with their care? Are they comfortable with the idea of a private caregiver? Do they understand the caregiver's need for care assistance?
If the decision is made to hire a private caregiver, you will want to explore many choices. Also, it will be important to acknowledge and include the desires of the person who will be receiving care. Consider the following questions in your search for appropriate care:
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What services would be required of the caregiver? (Try writing a job description outlining exactly what would be expected of a caregiver.)
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Is the individual employed by an agency or organization licensed by the state?
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What specific services will the caregiver provide, and will these services match your job description?
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Will the patient's Medicare pay for the service? If not, decide exactly how services will be paid.
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What are the qualifications of the person or people giving care?
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Will the same person or people always be available, or will it be necessary to adjust to many different caregivers?
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Does the agency or organization offer flexibility, making care available on weekends, at nights, and on holidays, for example?
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How does the agency or organization make sure that its employees treat their patients and patient families with respect?