First-day nerves are normal. For at-home carers working with the elderly, especially, it’s not like you’re entering a predictable office environment. You’re essentially going into the home of a stranger, where all sorts of unknowns could occur.
Turning up to someone’s personal space without quite knowing what you’re walking into can be a nerve-wracking situation for client and carer alike. However, if you can be cautious and sensitive to your client’s needs and personality from the outset—getting to know them as a person, not just someone who needs care—you’re more likely to start building a healthy working relationship.
Use these expert tips to help your first day as an elderly care provider go as smoothly as possible.
1. Get to know the person in advance
Preparation is the best way to avoid first-day awkwardness and any unpleasant surprises. The key is to arrive with some background knowledge of the person you are about to provide care for.
Find out what tasks they want help with, if they’re looking for personal care or more companion care, what their expectations are, and what qualities they’re looking for in a caregiver. Good care agencies will do a thorough assessment of clients and pass this information onto their providers before they start working with a new client. If you have direct contact with the client before beginning work for them, ask them and/or their family members questions before your first day on the job.
2. Arrive with the right attitude
The best way to approach a new job is to show up with a fresh perspective, be present, and listen to the client and any family members who are involved. Treat every day as a school day: go into the situation prepared to listen and learn from the people you are working with. They will give you an indication of the best way to care for them.
Flexibility and professionalism are crucial—but warmth and empathy are important, too. An elderly person’s life should be as filled with love and happiness as any other person’s, and part of your job is to facilitate that for them. As well as taking care of their physical and mental health, your best approach to understanding your client is to engage with their emotional needs, too. For instance, alongside the practical task of meal prep, you might want to consider if they’re receiving a healthy all-round diet. See yourself as a companion in the next stage of a full life, not defined by ability or limitations.
And while you may have worked with many different clients, remember that the family may never have had a care provider in their home before. Act as if you are a guest in their home to avoid coming on too strong until they get comfortable with your new dynamic.
3. Carefully navigate family relationships
Pay attention to how the patient and their family members interact. No two families or households are alike, and it’s important to observe and adjust to each one.
In many cases, you may be working with one half of a couple—but your relationship with both partners will be crucial. Pay attention to the dynamic between them. Often, the partner who does not require personal care could really benefit from your help, while the client themselves struggles with accepting support. Let them know you’re there to make the whole household’s life easier, to help put minds at rest. This is a situation to navigate with particular care when working with patients with dementia or cognitive difficulties who struggle to understand why you’re there in the first place.
Additionally, if both partners still sleep in the same room, be sure to respect their privacy and boundaries. If you’re not sure how to approach a situation, ask.
You may also be interacting with the client’s adult children. As they adjust emotionally and practically to their parent’s new care needs, they can be a help or sometimes a hindrance to the client’s care. Observe the dynamics from a respectful distance and use your professional judgement to manage those relationships. Your tact can be crucial in establishing children’s expectations and helping them adapt to the new situation, too.
4. Ask questions
If you’re an experienced caregiver, you may have a knack for intuitively knowing what needs to be done in any given situation. But assuming you know what a client or their family needs can create problems, particularly if there’s a gap between what they expect and what you think they need.
Remember, the worst thing you can do is to make assumptions in a situation where you don’t have the facts. Simply sitting down with your clients and their family and asking how you can help them is a huge step towards making your working life a whole lot simpler.
Here are a few useful questions to help you get started:
- Do you have any other family members nearby?
- What is your daily routine and schedule?
- What can I help with?
- How can I make your life better?
- What do you enjoy doing? What are your passions? What brings you joy?
Asking each other personal questions as well as practical questions can help you get to know each other better, too—but be sure to keep it professional.
Ultimately, the key to any successful communication is honesty and openness. Make your client feel like they’re in charge and you’re attuned to their needs. This will give them the sense that they’re living with dignity and control over their own life and how they lead it.
5. Ask for feedback at the end of the day
As the day draws to a close, take a few minutes to sit down with your client or their family, to get feedback on how they feel the first day went and see if you’re on the same page. Consider asking them outright if there’s anything more you can do, or anything you should have approached differently.
Don’t worry if the first day was tougher than you anticipated. Rome wasn’t built in a day—and relationships take time to grow and develop. If you continue pursuing a path of honest communication, you’re sure to build a common understanding over time.