Caregiver hiring is one of the most important tasks you will ever face in your life. Your loved one's well-being depends upon your success in hiring the appropriate person or team.

It is important to have a sound philosophy regarding your goals in providing care for your loved one. The fundamental cornerstones:

Caregiver Hiring Cornerstones

1. Dignity

2. Happiness

3. Alleviate Suffering

4. Home Sweet Home

5. Caregiver as a Servant

Dignity

Disease and aging take away some of your loved one's ability to accomplish what they wish on their own. They have to endure being assisted. For example, an elderly frail person cannot waive off an insulting person when that person is helping them to the commode in a time of need. This is a hard hit to the person's dignity. A key rule in caregiver hiring is to be aware of how the potential servant interacts with your loved one. Here are some warning signs of a dignity killing caregiver:

1. Fails to openly express respect for your loved one.

2. Does not listen. Only pretends. They won't be able to tell you what your loved one just said to them moments earlier.

3. Fails to allow your loved one to finish speaking before cutting them off verbally.

4. Speaks baby talk to your adult loved one.

5. Talks very loudly to your loved one even though they hear fine.

6. Uses irreverent nicknames without permission like "honey", "mamma" or "sweetie".

7. Speaks to your loved one like they speak to a pet. They may previously have been pet sitters as the bulk of their prior experience!

8. Always stands above your loved one never sitting with them at the same level.

9. Always ORDERS and TELLS and never ASKS permission.

10. Takes personal phone calls in the presence of the patient.

These telltale signs seem innocent enough. But, the dignity of the patient needing care is fragile. Beware of these behaviors in the caregiver you may be hiring. They often are symptomatic of a deeper disregard for the dignity of the person they will be charged with serving. Preserving dignity is the most important responsibility of the caregiver.

Happiness

Happiness is particularly important for the dementia patient. The dementia patient is very sensitive to the moods and atmosphere in the house. Happiness is contagious. Ironically, the most medically skilled caregiver you are considering hiring, may have a very tense, serious attitude. It is a common situation. The business-like unfriendly attitudes are devastating moods for anyone requiring care to have to endure from their servants. Understand the personality disposition of the potential caregiver. They should be genuinely happy by nature. Caregiving can be a high-pressure endeavor at times. Ask the potential servant what they did on their last day off. You can train a happy person complicated custodial duties. You can't train an unhappy person how to be happy. See if your candidate can tell a good joke, or tell them a funny story and see if they genuinely laugh. Laughter is the best medicine.

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