• By celia barrymore
• Published 02/6/2013

Why is it necessary to involve the elderly care recipient in the caregiver selection process? If you need to appoint a caregiver to ensure the comfort and safety of an elderly family member, you need to include them in the selection process. Here are the reasons that make this a good idea.

It reduces resistance. This is a common problem in elderly individuals. They cannot accept that they need help to carry on the regular activities of their daily lives. They may also feel angry and upset about their need for help.

Sometimes, elderly individuals think that if they do not accept their need for help, the problem will go away. In such a circumstance, they may resist the idea of home care. However, when you involve them in the selection of the care provider, they may feel more at ease with the idea. This gives them the feeling that their opinions matter as well.

It ensures compatibility. If the personalities of the caregiver and the care recipient do not match, a bond may be difficult to develop. This can hamper the success of the decision to appoint a caregiver for elderly care.

If the elderly member of your family is mentally capable, you need to involve them in the process to select the caregiver. Let them accompany you during the initial interview with the caregiver and give them the freedom to ask any questions they may have. This will help ensure that the two have the opportunity to interact from the start.

When you plan to appoint a caregiver for an elderly individual, and do not even ask him/her about it, the care recipient may feel hurt.

It is a good idea to talk to your elderly family member before you take any step in this regard. When you ask their opinion in this regard, they feel that their opinion is also important. This expresses your respect for your elderly family member and reduces distress or hurt.

It enhances trust. Only when an elderly individual trusts you completely, will he/she let you make a decision regarding the necessary care arrangement. If you do not involve him/her in the matter, you may not be able to create a relationship based on trust.

Even if you think that the elderly member of your family is incapable of making decisions regarding their care, informing them about your decisions beforehand is often the right idea. This shows your concern for their health and well-being and also enhances their trust in your judgment.

It makes the transition easy. You need to keep in mind that elderly individuals often feel that their lives will change forever because of their loss of ability to handle their own lives. In most cases, this is true.

When you involve them in the carer selection process, you make sure that the transition from their former lives to this new routine is easier. For this, they need to be aware of your decision to appoint a caregiver for them. They also need to know who the caregiver is and when he/she will be in his/her care.

However, it may not always be possible to involve an elderly individual in the process. For example, if he/she has a progressive condition such as Alzheimer, they may not be capable of giving an opinion about their care. In such a situation, you need to arrange for Alzheimers care on your own.

Author Bio 

Celia Barrymore has long been associated with a Galway care agency specialising in elderly care services. She provides a few hints about the reasons that make it necessary to involve elderly care recipients in the selection of the carers in Ireland.

Hello, myself Celia Barrymore. I am a health blogger and doing the same for a long time. To know more about me…..please visit my website!!!!