Small Steps Against the Senior Caregiver Shortage

When we talk about the prospective shortage of elder care workers, there are several implications that can be made when it comes to the quality of care that individuals that might be impacted by this will receive. One of the big implications is that there might not be enough caregivers out there to apply in-home care to all those that want it. In-home care has proven to be far less intrusive than other types of care, and no relocation is needed by those who receive this type of help, making it extremely popular.

 

But this is not the only implication. Assisted living facilities and skilled nursing facilities will also be negatively impacted. Reports already indicate that many areas of the country are having trouble retaining employees in this sector. Being a caregiver can be tough, and if someone joins this workforce for a paycheck and not out of compassion for others, they will find that it isn’t right for them. The quality of care that they give will be lacking.

 

Being a caregiver is hard, and the impending caregiver shortage might exacerbate this.

 

A shortage of caregivers in the senior care industry would be harmful then not just to those that want to maintain their independence and their families, but to those that already reside in assisted living facilities and nursing homes. The quality of life of these seniors would decrease because they would not be able to receive the same individualized attention that they need to thrive.

 

We’ve talked about prospective solutions to this issue in the past, but each family also needs to be taking the initiative to provide what’s best for their loved ones. Even with the issue clearly stated and defined further by demographic statistics, many caregiver agencies are having issues with staff. Being a caregiver is a hard job, and a lot of people are not fully aware of that when they begin. So, if you’re looking for a caregiver for an elderly loved one, it’s important that you look at the credentials of the individual that you bring into your home. You should always ensure that your mom or dad’s caregiver be fully trained and an employee of the service that sponsors them. This will make sure that they have some previous hands on experience, and will know what being a caregiver is like before they step foot in your home.

 

This is important because you want to provide a continuity of care for your family. Research shows that continuous care is far more beneficial to mental health than disrupted care. Having a single caregiver will be more helpful than needing to find a new one every few weeks. Unfortunately, many families are tasked with just that. The person who suffers the most from this is the individual in need of that help. By looking at these factors first, we can do our own small bit to alleviate some of the stress of the caregiver shortage that is expected to increase in the next ten years and give our loved ones the best care possible in the present moment, too.

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