Selecting a Home Health Aide

By Joan Blumenfeld, MS, LPC

Mother fractured her hip while dancing at the Senior Center!

By diligently doing the hard work of physical therapy, she recovered her ability to walk. However, the whole incident highlighted her growing frailty and precipitated a downward cognitive spiral from which she did not recover.

Mark, our father, wanted to take care of Mother himself when she returned home. He understandably objected to the idea of having someone move in with them, especially since that person would be sleeping in his room and denying him free access to his TV, his desk and his lounge chair.

But the powers that be at the hospital simply would not allow Mother to go home without a live-in Home Health Aide in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Freda, the woman we hired, was the niece of my parents’ trusted housekeeper and a Certified Nurse’s Aide (CNA). We hired Freda privately and paid her social security and workers compensation to protect her and my parents.

Freda was not exactly a gourmet chef, but my parents ate her cooking without too many complaints. She did the marketing, light housekeeping, laundry, assisted with bathing and other personal care, and accompanied them on walks and to their programs at the Senior Center.

She kept them safe and comfortable day and night and communicated with me regularly regarding their activities. Freda looked after our parents for the next three and a half years until they became so frail that one person could not take care of them both. (It was then necessary for them to move to a nursing home.) Freda’s presence had made it possible for our parents to stay home as long as possible, for which we are eternally grateful!

These are some of the attributes I considered in selecting our Home Health Aide:

1. A cheerful and willing disposition
2. A neat appearance
3. Solid experience with people with dementia
4. Certification and training
5. References
6. Background check
7. Backup for those occasions when she was not available

PEARL OF WISDOM

Screen an aide well before hiring. Do not hesitate to change aides if it is not a good fit.

Joan Blumenfeld is a Geriatric Care Manager based in Fairfield County, Connecticut. For information visit e www.joanblumenfeld.com. Copyright 2010 Joan Blumenfeld.

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