It’s always tough to see a parent or loved one who has suffered a debilitating injury or who’s starting to need in-home care with every day activities.

Whether the issue is physical, mental or both, it’s clear your loved one would really benefit from the assistance of a professional.

There’s never going to be an easy time to have that conversation with your loved one, but coming in to the conversation with some knowledge can make it a little easier. Here are three tips for finding the best in-home care provider for your loved one.

Tip 1: Consider the Type of In-Home Care That’s Needed

There are a lot of different types of care to consider. It’s always possible that your loved one doesn’t need every type of care that’s available. This is a good thing, because it helps you narrow your focus down to a proper provider who specializes in the specific type of care your loved one needs.

The most common types of in-home care are:

• Personal care – Help with personal needs like eating, bathing, dressing, and going to the bathroom

• Household care – Help with household activities like cooking and cleaning

• Healthcare – Help with managing medications, scheduling doctor’s visits, and other health-related activities

• Companionship – Someone who talks to, listens to, and does things with your loved one

Depending on your loved one’s needs, you might hire an in-home care provider who only helps with one or two of these types of care. Narrowing it down allows you to find the right provider.

Tip 2: Talk about In-Home Care Preferences

When you sit down to have a conversation with your loved one about his or her needs, you’ll be able to determine any preferences as well.

For instance, is your loved one deeply religious? Perhaps care from a religious in-care provider would be welcomed.

If personal care is a necessity, would your loved one feel more comfortable with a male or a female provider?

Does either of you have a preference whether the care provider is hired as an individual or through a home care agency?

Depending on how you’ll pay for the care, your loved one might also have something to say about the cost of the provider.

Ultimately, it’s important to understand your loved one’s preferences as you shop for a provider. This will help you find one who’s a good fit.

Tip 3: Ask Around

The last tip is simply to ask around. Talk to friends and colleagues, do your research, and conduct enough interviews to make an informed decision.

You might also consider consulting with an elder law attorney on who might be a good choice. Your elder law attorney can also help you with other aspects of the process, including how to pay for it and how to evaluate the providers you’re considering to make sure they have the proper qualifications, certifications, and licenses.

Next week, we want to talk about choosing a member of your family as an in-home care provider!

~ Ronald Morton