When your aging relative or loved one is in the hospital or they are in a nursing home for rehabilitation and care, adult children and friends want to know they are well cared for. At times when a patient is in one of these situations, the aging person will not receive hands-on care at every moment. The caregivers and medical practitioners in hospitals and nursing facilities oversee several patients and they are not available to meet all the needs of these patients, young or old. Families are not aware that they can hire outside the hospital or nursing home staff and bring in a non skilled, professional caregiver to provide supplemental help. What you can expect when hiring a professional caregiver:

1. Give the elderly patient personal care – a caregiver in a facility can ensure that all patient’s needs are met when they need to be. But it may take time for a nurse to arrive to help the patient because they may be tending to another patient. So, if you are concerned that your aging relative may need assistance to the restroom or help being fed, consider hiring a caregiver who can attend to those needs without delay.

2. Avoid injury – knowing you cannot be there 24/7 with an elderly loved one in the hospital, hiring a caregiver to watch them when doctors or nurses may not be around, you are assured that someone will help prevent slips and falls due to physical instability.

3. Companionship – the staff hired by the hospital and nursing home are stretched between multiple patients, they are limited in the care they can provide. Nor do they have time to chat and visit with patients. It’s not their job. Professional caregivers can provide that companionship, and will not be subjected to the same visiting hours as friends or family members

4. Recording and Note Taking –professional caregivers can record history of patient treatment when doctors examine or administer medication. They can be there for you 24/7 to hold onto living wills in order to ensure someone’s wishes are followed.