Whenever you are dealing with an elderly parent who's health is failing, you are going to be stressed. This is one of those times when you are not going to be at your best. You are already worried about whether you are doing the right thing for your parent by keeping them at home and hiring a home nurse to take care of them as opposed to moving them into a nursing home. You have to deal with the rest of your family. You are watching your parent, who was once the person who took care of you; grow weaker and more ill with each passing day.
The good news is that when a home nurse is employed to take care of your aging parent they don't expect to see you or your family at their best. They understand that you are not going to be at your best. Hopefully they have been properly trained and know how to handle the stressed family as well as they know how to take care of their cranky, confused patient.
The first thing you can do to make sure that the home nurse who is going to be taking care of your elderly parent's medical needs is to make sure that nurse has a personality that compliments you and your family. The way you get a nurse that suits your family's personality is being sure that you are completely honest with the agency you are using to locate the home nurse. Make sure your description of your family, their routine, and your parent's medical needs is completely true. The more honest you are about your needs and requirements the easier it will be for the agency to match you with a home nurse. If your parent needs to be physically lifted and moved make sure that you request a nurse with enough strength to get the job done.
When you are told that a nurse has been found for your parent, make sure you meet the nurse before they start taking care of your parent. Make sure this is a person whom you are comfortable welcoming into your home. If the nurse is, for whatever reason, not someone you are comfortable with, politely request a new nurse.
Make sure that both you and home nurse are both perfectly clear on what the nurse will be doing while she is in the home. When the nurse is just coming to the home for a few hours a day it is easy to know and understand that they are a professional that is doing a job. The line between health care and house keeper can become a little more blurred. Before the nurse ever moves into the spare bedroom, make a list of what they will and won’t be doing. Make sure the whole family understands. Having a clear understanding of the nurses responsibilities will make everyone's life's easier and will make the whole experience as pleasant as possible.
Remember that the home nurse is a professional. They are in your home to take care of a family member, but they are not an actual member of your family. Make sure that your maintain a polite, friendly, but professional relationship with the home nurse
