Staying at home for seniors didn’t come without challenges, even in familiar surroundings due to mobility and health issues. Family and friends drifting apart lead seniors to isolation and loneliness. Homemaker services may be the perfect answer for a senior whose goal is to stay in the comfort of their own home after retirement for as long as possible.
With home care agencies extending services today, seniors can now live independently, supporting them as they age throughout every stage. Not only can homemakers provide physical assistance for various everyday activities, but they can also boost a senior’s well-being by providing transportation, housekeeping help, and essential companionship.
What Are The Good Qualities To Look For Homemakers?
Below are some top qualities to look for when choosing a professional homemaker for seniors:
Passion
A homemaker should genuinely care for seniors and should be the kind of person to look after them. Someone passionate about their role can give the best care they possibly can. They should be positive, enthusiastic, and happy and let this shine through when working with the people in their care, looking for ways to improve the lives of those they work with.
Compassion
Being compassionate or having empathy is putting oneself in someone else’s shoes. A compassionate homemaker can identify with the people’s pain, fear, and discomfort in their care and knows how to make them feel better. With compassion, homemakers can always think about wanting to be taken care of if the roles are reversed.
Patience and flexibility
As tricky situations may arise, sometimes seniors may become uncooperative or emotional. Homemakers may need to slow down the pace when the old in their care is in more pain or discomfort than usual. Being too rigid makes it challenging to deal with situations like this.
Selflessness
It is putting the needs of the seniors in their care first as the problematic situation may arise, especially when seniors become so stubborn or if the family interferes with the process. It is crucial to take charge of a situation while putting the senior’s well-being in their care first, regardless of whether the senior or the family agree with them at that specific moment.
Attentiveness
Being attentive to seniors’ physical and emotional well-being can go a long way. Sometimes, the senior loved one isn’t aware of these changes or can’t communicate. Attentive homemakers who respond quickly to dangers can save lives.
Reliability and trustworthiness
Homemakers should be dependable and committed to their vocation as seniors and their families depend on them—someone who will show up that they can always count on, no matter the situation.
Professionalism
Homemakers must be consistently professional, no matter what the circumstances are. It’s given that people also have off days, but being professional means that personal issues must not affect the work and should be set aside. More importantly, they should be able to think about when to get help should they need a day off to cope with their issues.
Excellent communication skills
Homemakers must also know how to communicate in clear and simple terms and make sure everybody is informed about any changes in the well-being of the seniors in their care. It is also vital that the information must get across.
Maintain confidentiality
One crucial quality should be being privy to a lot of confidential information. Homemakers should always discern if the information has to be kept confidential unless divulging the information is required for the safety and well-being of the senior.
Physically fit, healthy, and have a strong constitution
Homemakers should have the strength and stamina to assist the people in their care with any task needed, such as helping them bathe or get out of bed.
What Are Homemakers’ Duties And Responsibilities?
Homemakers’ assignment and capability to perform services may include the following tasks.
House Cleaning:
- Dusting and straightening furniture.
- Cleaning of floors and rugs by wet or dry mop and vacuum sweeping.
- Changing linens and making beds.
- Cleaning ovens, defrosting, and cleaning refrigerators.
- Cleaning the outside of counters, cabinets, and appliances.
- Cleaning the kitchen, which includes washing dishes, pots, and pans.
- Cleaning the bathroom, such as the tub, sink, wall area, shower, toilet bowl, and medicine cabinet; emptying and cleaning the commode chair or urinal and cleaning floors.
- Washing inside windows within reach from the floor.
- Removing trash from home.
Meal Preparation and Nutrition:
- Meal preparation.
- Preparation of a special diet in case of any instructions given.
- Cleaning of eating and food preparation areas.
- Shopping for food, such as purchase planning, handling client funds, and return receipts.
Laundry:
- Washing clothes includes separating and drying the client’s clothes and linens in the client’s home or at the Laundromat.
- Folding and ironing clothes and linens.
- Putting away finished laundry.
- Hand mending at client’s request.
Basic Home Safety:
- Identify and report safety hazards to the family or immediate supervisor.
- Eliminate safety hazards with the client.
Additional Activities:
- Reading and writing for the client at the client’s request.
- Accompany clients to appointments.
Errands:
- Purchase errands that include but are not limited to grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions, household items, and personal items.
- Completing errands as requested by seniors.
Homemaker Escort Transportation:
- Finding the office inside the building for seniors.
- Help clients with paperwork during check-in and check-out.
- Carry groceries and packages for a client.
- Make sure that clients can get in and out of the building.
- Assist the client with getting in and out of the vehicle.
- Ensure the client arrives home safely.
- Provide any assistance as requested by the client.
Learn More About Homemaker Services
If your loved one requires more assistance adjusting to the hectic pace of life, consider a homemaker like hiring an assistant. Vitality Home Health provides a Homemaker service that helps seniors perform tasks if they can no longer accomplish them. At Vitality Home Health, we understand that some seniors may still be able to do many chores, but others may discover that once-simple activities such as laundry, dog walking, gardening, and grocery shopping are now too time-consuming, exhausting, or stressful.
To get a free in-home consultation, please contact Vitality Home Health by phone or by filling in the form below, and we will get back to you.
