What Does a Senior Caregiver Do?
A senior caregiver is a professional who helps an older adult at home. A senior caregiver will visit an older adult at home on a weekly schedule to assist with household tasks such as, meal preparation, light housekeeping, and personal care such as, bathing, dressing, and grooming. Senior caregivers are also sometimes referred to as caregiver companions, home companions, home aides, or elder sitter.
Senior caregivers typically work either privately (employee of an older adult) or through a home care agency (employee of the home care agency). When a senior caregiver works directly for an older adult, he or she would receive payment from the older adult in the form of cash or a check. When a senior caregiver works through a home care agency, he or she would be compensated through the agency’s payroll system and the older adult would pay the agency directly.
Senior caregivers will assist with a variety of tasks as well as provide companionship to older adults. Tasks will include grocery shopping, running errands, dusting, vacuuming, medication reminders, walks and exercise, conversation, laundry, and other daily living activities.
There are many benefits to having a senior caregiver help an older person at home including relief for the family members who are providing the caregiving themselves, giving the older adult a sense of independence at home, having a professionally trained and/or experienced person providing support, and socialization from the companionship of a senior caregiver.
Using a home care agency to hire a senior caregiver has many advantages. The home care agency conducts background checks on all its staff members, insurance, and bonding to cover any injuries, damages, or theft, and backup care if the senior caregiver is unable to make it to a weekly visit. While hiring a senior caregiver privately in most cases will cost less than paying through an agency, the benefits of insurance coverage, backup care, and supervision would be missing.
People that choose to become a senior caregiver as a profession often have a fondness for working with older adults. Their experience and training have taught them to develop patience and compassion when helping elderly people as well as how to anticipate the needs of seniors who are afflicted with chronic illnesses, declining health, or frailty. The training for senior caregivers typically includes learning about dementia and Alzheimer’s care, fall prevention and home safety, personal care and hygiene assistance, nutrition, and meal preparation, and observing and reporting safety or medical concerns.
What is In-Home Companion Care?
We are here to help your loved ones continue to live life the way they want from the comfort of their own home.
Light Housekeeping – We can assist with vacuuming, dusting, cleaning floors, cleaning bathrooms, cleaning kitchens, taking out the trash, straightening rooms, organizing closets and drawers.
Laundry Services – Washing clothes and linens can be a strenuous activity. We can wash, dry, fold, iron, and put away a client’s laundry for them, alleviating physical stress.
Meal Preparation & Shopping – Our caregivers work with our clients and their families to develop an appetizing and healthy meal plan that meets their specific dietary requirements. We are available to grocery shop (with or without clients) and prepare, cook and serve meals.
Friendly Visitor, Conversation & Company – We will visit your loved ones at their home and spend time with them. From conversation to playing board games, companionship can be the best solution to help loved ones through the day.
Errands & Transportation – We can assist by accompanying and transporting clients to doctor/dentist appointments, personal appointments such as the beauty shop & barber, visiting family and friends, shopping, local errands, and more.
