If you have an older relative or friend, chances are good that you have procured them in-home care. This is extremely helpful because it ensures that there will be someone at your friend or relative's house regularly so that your friend or relative has companionship when you can't be there. It also helps ensure that your friend or relative is able to get the help that he or she needs eating, getting dressed, bathing, or cleaning the house. However, you might feel like you don't have good enough communication with your in-home caregiver. Here are some steps for making your in-home caregiver more effective.

1. Give Regular Feedback

Either you or your loved one needs to be willing to give regular feedback to the in-home caregiver because if he or she doesn't know what you prefer, he or she will not be able to deliver. Every few weeks, especially when you first have a caregiver come to your loved one's house, make sure that you have an open and honest conversation about what your loved one likes and what he or she doesn't like. This will help you pinpoint areas that you can both talk to the caregiver about in order to make sure that your loved one is getting the care that he or she needs and that the caregiver is as effective as possible.

2. Have Your In-Home Caregiver Give Feedback 

Next, you need to be sure that you are receiving and accepting regular feedback from your in-home caregiver. Set a time for the caregiver to talk to you and your loved one about things that he or she has enjoyed about spending time doing his or her job, and what he or she would prefer to change. If your in-home caregiver knows that you are willing to take his or her preferences into account, he or she will feel more comfortable and will be better able to do his or her job. He or she will also have valuable insight into what your loved one could be doing to help improve his or her situation, like getting more exercise or seeing his or her friends more often.  

3. Have a Schedule

Finally, if you can help your loved on and his or her caregiver create a schedule that both people know about and adhere to, you can help normalize your loved one's life and improve overall efficacy because both parties will now precisely what they should be doing at certain times.

For more information, talk to a company that specializes in providing in-home caregivers (such as Cornerstone Hospice and Palliative Care).