Preparing Your Home for a Home Health Care Provider

Preparing Your Home for a  Home Health Care Provider

When you decide to employ a home health aide there are a number of changes that you need to consider - both in your home and in your lifestyle. What will it be like having another person in your home for hours or even days at a time? If you are a private person it may feel like an invasion. On the other hand, for some folks its welcome companionship - someone they can rely on to visit  daily.

You need to make your home as safe as possible for both your family member and their caregiver. Remove objects that may be easily broken. Prevent tripping by removing small rugs, runners, electrical and phone cords from pathways. Place non-skid adhesive strips to non-carpeted stairs. Make sure that your home is well lit - especially stairs and hallways.

You may need to purchase items that you don't already have. Things you should have include, but aren't limited to:

• smoke detectors
• carbon monoxide detector
• nonslip bath rugs
• nonslip stickers or mat in the bathtub or shower
• grab bars by the toilet and in the shower/tub
• flame resistant potholders
• fire extinguisher

Having help when you have a family member with a disability can be a blessing. Another set of hands to help with care giving and household tasks can seem like a dream come true at first.

However, anyone who has employed a home care worker knows that the honeymoon period wears off.  My initial reaction was to treat the person like a member of the family while they were in our home.  I did this in part because I saw my parents struggle with the aides who cared from my mother.

My parents were very private people. They were brought up in a different era. The combination of these factors meant that they didn't want their live in aide dining with them. There was one fundamental problem with this idea- they only had one table. There was no where to sit and eat in the kitchen. Those poor women had to stand in the kitchen to eat their meals.

My parents wanted their aide to be "on call" but essentially out of sight. That meant that they were relegated to spending large parts of the day in their room or on the back deck, waiting for my parents to page them. Being a home health aide is a difficult, physically demanding job. The pay is poor and there are often no benefits. Adding social isolation must have made the job so much harder.

My mother was a little confused toward the end and some of her aides took advantage of her. While I was visiting one afternoon I saw her "tip" the aide five dollars three times for filing her nails that day. After my mom passed way small pieces of jewelry and other items were missing. I think that if my parents had been even a little more tolerant these small abuses might never have occurred.

On the other hand, I've learned that without some boundaries people may also take advantage of your good-nature. My daughter's aide is generally included in everything we do. She eats with us, hangs out in the living room and watches TV with us, etc .

In the past I've been so casual that people forgot they worked for us. Some have wanted to watch graphic crimes dramas with my daughter in the room. I didn't realize that one woman was using my laptop for online shopping until I went to several websites and the "Your Store" zip was set to her town. We've had aides show up with their children and their dogs.  One showed up before a job interview so she could use our shower!

In addition to making sure your aide knows what you want done, be clear about what NOT to do as well. While I don't want to create a feeling of distrust I do want to maintain a semblance of privacy in my home.  Some of these suggestions may make you feel ridiculous, but consider the alternatives. Be specific about any areas that are for family-only. I would rather hang a sign on my door than find someone up to their elbows in my underwear drawer. Let the person know if they are welcome to watch your TV (and what shows you would prefer they not watch), use your computer, etc. Here are a few tips based on my experience:

• If you don't want your aide to pry into your bedroom, master bathroom or office, you need to clearly post a "PRIVATE" sign on the door.
• Password protect your computers and cell phones. Lock file cabinets. Consider blocking unwanted content on your TV.
• Label dresser drawers, kitchen cabinets, etc. to prevent "I was just looking for..." If everyone knows where to find necessary items there is no reason to look elsewhere. Most people will respect your privacy, but there is always one person that wants to go through your pantry or medicine cabinet.
• If you have cherished heirlooms or valuables, move them out of sight or store them safely somewhere else. A spilled drink can accidentally ruin an antique table that looks "second hand"to an aide.

Be sure to interview any person or agency carefully before you hire them!



For more information on home safety for the elderly or individuals with special needs please go to http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/fcs/pdfs/FCS-461.pdf