Tasks for a Caregiver – Key Items To Consider When Hiring a Paid Caregiver For A Parent

Taking care of an aging parent or loved one can be extremely time consuming which is why many people look to hire a paid caregiver to help. This can be a part time role or a full time position, it all depends on your personal schedule and the needs of your loved one.

Your aging loved one may need the services of a caregiver due to factors like limited mobility, mental illnesses, and even memory issues that make every day a challenge. The good news is that a professional caregiver can help your loved one navigate through life. The tough part at this point is making sure you understand the tasks for a caregiver, so that you can be sure to hire the right person.

The responsibilities and tasks for a caregiver will vary depending on the support that your parent or loved one requires. If you’re looking to hire someone for a caregiving job but are not sure of the kind of tasks they should carry out, then you’ve come to the right place! 

Here are the tasks that a paid caregiver should be able complete. You should consider these when interviewing a caregiver or checking caregiver credentials.

Assess Medical Needs

There’s nothing more important than ensuring that the older adult in your life is well-taken care of. It’s a paid caregiver’s responsibility to see to all their medical needs. A caregiver will assess your loved one’s pain level and manage their medication accordingly. 

They should also schedule appointments when they need to see a doctor. Remember, your loved one will likely need regular visits to the hospital considering their age and any conditions that they are suffering from. 

Therefore, it’s an important factor of a caregiver’s job to handle this responsibility as often as needed. 

Prepare a Care Plan

Addressing and meeting your loved one’s needs and goals should be the cornerstone of a caregiver’s job. As such, one of the many tasks for a caregiver should be coming up with a plan that will help them embark on their caregiving journey successfully. 

Usually, this plan takes everything under consideration and prioritizes your loved one’s care. For instance, the plan could include the number of care hours that the older adult may need, and also offer additional help for when the caregiver gets overwhelmed while carrying out their routine tasks.  

Needless to say, a care plan is a road map to caregiving success. 

Assist with Basic Needs

Unfortunately, old age can come with mobility and memory issues. We are not as strong in our 60s and 70s as we were in our 30s. 

It’s common for older adults to need help with their grooming practices, eating, and even toileting. All of these things are difficult for them to accomplish on their own. 

A caregiver will always check in on your loved one to ensure that they have all their basic needs and also offer extra help when need be. 

Provide Companionship

This is one of the most essential parts of hiring a caregiver. Unfortunately, companionship for the older adult is often overlooked because the focus is mainly on developing a care plan and providing basic needs. 

It’s important to note that feelings of loneliness have negative health effects and even cause depression. 

However, when you create companionship, you are creating an opportunity for your loved one to develop a bond as well as a connection. Surprisingly, one of the most important aspects of a caregiving job is to be a friend, it’s a task that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Help with Housekeeping

Maintaining good cleaning practices around the home is difficult for any older adult. As such. they will need help with things like vacuuming, washing the dishes, and even disposing of the garbage. 

In case your loved one lives in a snowy area, they will need help with shoveling the snow. Your chosen caregiver should be able to handle such tasks so as to ensure your loved one always lives in hygienic surroundings. 

Monitor Medication

It’s common for older adults to take medication to treat any chronic conditions that they may have. However, your loved may need help keeping track of their extensive medication list. 

While tracking daily medications may sound easy, it might be challenging for your loved one to keep up with their prescriptions and even understand drug interactions. 

This is where not only a caregiver comes into the picture, but an app like WayWiser. One of the tasks for a caregiver will be organizing all prescriptions and avoiding mix-ups by monitoring medications. It’s perhaps one of the most critical parts of a caregiver job. They can be plugged into your Trusted Circle on WayWiser where the ever-changing medication lists can be updated and shared seamlessly with you, your siblings, and any other caregivers who may need to help out.

Assess Your Care Plan Regularly

Your loved one’s care plan changes with circumstances. For instance, if they change doctors or move homes, the caregiver should adjust the care plan accordingly to ensure their comfort. This is also an ideal use case for WayWiser, as it makes it easy to share changes with everyone who needs to be in the loop.

They should determine what would work in their current environment, what wouldn’t, and what would need to be adapted. While change is inevitable, the caregiver can suggest change in a loving and caring manner. 

Prepare Meals

Food preparation becomes difficult with age. If your loved one lives alone then there are days when they will lack energy and motivation to cook. Memory and balance issues also make cooking unsafe. 

A caregiver should help with tasks like shopping for groceries and finding alternatives to ensure that your loved one has healthy and delicious meals. 

Assist with Transfer and Mobility

Your loved one may face difficulty doing things like getting out of bed in the morning and even moving from the living room to the bedroom. Remember, falls are a health risk to older adults. 

You wouldn’t want to risk your loved one getting hurt as they move from the bedroom to the living room all by themselves. A caregiver can put in place the right measures to prevent falls and help them stay comfortable. 

Provide Transportation

As your loved one ages, they can require alternative means of transportation to move from one place to another, as due to their old age, they may not able to drive around on their own. Transportation is a vital part of a caregiver job.

An important one of the many tasks for a caregiver is to arrange for the most conducive transportation means for your loved one, which will get them to and from doctor appointments and equally get them to different activities. 

The Bottom Line as for Tasks for a Caregiver

Of course there are always going to be specific tasks to your mother, father, or loved one, but the list above will get you started on the right foot when hiring for caregiver job and trying to understand everything that needs to be accomplished by a professional caregiver.

The ultimate goal of a paid caregiver is to take the struggle out of both your and your loved one’s daily routine by eliminating common challenges. 

The bonus for your loved on is the companionship and the positivity that comes from spending time with someone who is in a caregiving role – not to mention the peace of mind that you’ll have knowing that someone is looking out for their best interests.