You’ve researched, interviewed, and hired an individual or respite care facility to provide care for your child with special needs. Congratulations! Hopefully your life has gotten a little more manageable already. But it’s important to evaluate the quality of care periodically so you can make sure your child’s needs are being met and that your caregiver is satisfied with the work situation.
Schedule a regular appointment with your caregiver (or a check-in with your respite care facility director) to discuss the ongoing care relationship. At first, you might want to check in every week. Even if the respite care is infrequent, you should still touch base with the caregiver or care facility from time to time about continuing the care relationship.
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As you get to know a new caregiver, spend some time observing them in action. If you’re planning regular respite shifts that take place overnight or while you’re away, start off with some shifts that take place while you’re at home so you can keep an eye on how things are going.
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Ask your child about the caregiver, if possible, and get their reaction. Even if your child can’t provide a thorough review of the caregiver, they can certainly give you their gut feeling, or a thumbs-up or down about the care.
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Ask your caregiver for feedback and suggestions as well as any concerns they might have about job.
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Keep a log-book with updates and information to share with caregivers who are involved with your child. Let your caregiver write in the log about their caregiving experience each shift — this is a good way to keep track of any issues that need to be resolved.
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If there are any problems or issues, use your regular check-in meeting to start finding solutions and options. Don’t let conflicts or problems simmer; finding a resolution at the beginning of a conflict is much easier than trying to find one after the problem has escalated.
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If you are using a care facility for respite care, find out if your child has a favorite caregiver at the center. If so, request that her preferred caregiver will be there when your child visits, or time your visits to coincide with that caregiver’s hours. Find out if you can speak with that specific caregiver after your child’s visit to the facility.
Enjoy your time off! Respite care provides much-needed and well-deserved breaks for dedicated parents, family members, care recipients and caregivers. Preventing burn-out is crucial for any parent — and by getting started with professional care early, you’ll have a much wider range of options as your child ages and their needs change.
Further Reading:
- More questions to ask prospective respite caregivers
- Planning your child’s care at every stage of life
Lisa Tabachnick Hotta writes about parenting, health, and social issues.
