Here’s how caregivers evaluate senior care options for their own families

In an ideal world, finding the right care for an aging parent would be a clear matter of identifying the senior’s specific needs and matching them with a prospective caregiver’s capabilities and skillsets. And yet, people who choose this approach often find themselves dissatisfied. It simply isn’t enough, especially as trends toward profitability, shareholder satisfaction and market consolidation drive many senior living and senior care organizations. 

As the founder of Perfect Care Nursing, I can tell you: the best indicator of senior care quality is compassion. And yet, when every organization claims to provide compassionate care, how can you discern who actually makes it a priority?  

You can start by doing it the same way my team and I do – whether we’re looking to hire someone for our team or care for our own family members. 

Trust your eyes and ears.

Compassionate caregivers recognize that when seniors begin to exhibit childlike behavior, that does not make them children. A respectful appreciation for a senior’s life and humanity is essential for people working through physical, emotional and cognitive challenges. Your ideal caregiver knows how to meet someone where they are, supporting what they need without demeaning them. This skill is especially important with dementia, where impairment in one area may leave the patient mentally sharp in others. Targeted intellectual engagement and stimulation can improve quality of life and sometimes even help to slow cognitive decline.

Observe how caregivers treat everyone else, too.

Sometimes, the key to finding the right caregiver comes from what happens outside their work hours. How does a candidate treat colleagues, a parking attendant, or friends and family when talking on the phone? Compassion shouldn’t be something that gets turned on only while on the clock. Empathy should be central to who the caregiver is as a person.

Consider caregiver life experiences – they matter.

Look for how prospective caregivers interact with you and your family member. Some younger nurses intuitively work well with seniors or people living through long-term illnesses. That said, many lack the life experience to interact comfortably with someone 20, 30, 50 or more years older. Older caregivers often have been through setbacks, illnesses, recoveries and triumphs themselves, which helps build empathy and an awareness of the importance of daily routines, treatment regimens, timely transportation to appointments and other life necessities. 

Find caregivers who will enter your world rather than insist you come to theirs.

Seniors experiencing dementia often exhibit seemingly irrational fears or needs. A senior may feel anxious to find something lost, even if they can’t articulate what that item might be – or the fact that it has been gone for decades. Someone who spent his career as a surgeon may find comfort in being asked to review medical records. The former CEO might fixate on finding financial discrepancies. A compassionate caregiver will meet each of these seniors where they are. Patiently letting moments play out not only helps to de-escalate a senior’s frustration level but also often helps families overcome momentarily stressful situations.

Seek a caregiver who can serve as an advocate

Caregivers with long-term patient relationships often become the first, best indicators for situations of concern. When someone sees your loved one every week or every day, they can recognize medical, financial and other issues that may require attention or intervention before they become crises. From confusing discharge orders to complex medication regimes to little pieces of daily life, this ability to intercede tactfully yet firmly can be lifesaving.

Look for the right licenses and certifications. 

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that a “higher” title or certification means better or more appropriate care. Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) train specifically for elder and long-term care. Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Nurse Practitioners (LPNs) are trained to address specific health needs but typically do not focus on ongoing companionship and day-to-day living support. Other professionals specialize in areas like mental health, physical therapy, and drug rehabilitation. Seek an organization that can access and balance the training and expertise of its professionals with the personalized needs of your family.

Explore how employer organizations treat their caregivers 

Underpayment, underappreciation and overwork of senior care personnel are so widespread that turnover rates far exceed those in almost any other field. Indeed, high turnover and impatient, strained employees are so common in senior care that employers and families have come to consider them acceptable. They aren’t. We deliberately seek higher-quality nurses and give them a home within our organization, both because it’s good business and leads to better care for our clients. An organization that supports its staff with supportive attention, employment stability, continuing education and living wages is likely to provide better care while building stable, long-term relationships with you and your family. 

We know how challenging and frustrating it can be to make decisions about eldercare and long-term illness assistance because we’ve been there. In fact, those personal experiences are what first inspired us to create Perfect Care Nursing. We’ve seen this challenge from all sides, and we hope this guide helps you and your family make the best possible choices as you explore senior care.