{ }
AGING
with an
Attitude
Why Can’t My
Caregiver Do
Other Things?
By Dorie U. Sugay
Dorie Sugay is the Executive Director
of Visiting Angels, a company that
provides living-assistance services to
seniors and adults-in-need who wish
to stay in their own home or receive
one-on-one care within a facility.
This article is for informational and
educational purposes only. It was
written independently of Visiting
Angels.
78
T
he job description of a caregiver
is often misunderstood and people tend to
“get creative” with it. Thinking a caregiver
should do anything a domestic helper would
is understandable but inappropriate. The
problem starts with the government which
categorizes caregivers as unskilled workers.
Caregivers have been kn own to make split-
second decisions that have saved lives.
They are expected to think out-of-the box
— fi nding ways to encourage your parent
to accept help, eat even when he/she isn’t
interested, and, in some cases, convince a
loved one to continue to live with some level
of gusto. They may also gather data that could
possibly help the doctor fi gure out why a
parent is not responding to a new medication.
Caregivers use basic psychology to lift one’s
spirits, they use their knowledge of the human
body to ensure people’s safety and they carry
out medical instructions as provided by the
doctor. It is atrocious to say they are unskilled
and ignore their experience and training.
So, what can they do if not blow leaves off
your porch when your mom is napping? They
give non-medical care. The State is ultra-
protective of patient health — dispensing of
medication, shots, enemas, catheterization,
monitoring your blood pressure, etc. can
only be performed by a nurse. And the nasty
rumor is true — only a nurse or certified nail
specialist may cut a clients toenails to prevent
possible infection.
What are ADLs? The day-to-day sup-
port (Activities of Daily Living or ADLs),
a caregiver can provide. This includes:
hygiene (bathing, grooming, shaving and
oral care); eating (assistance in cutting up
food, etc.); toileting (assistance dealing with
incontinence); dressing (assistance taking
clothing on and off ); and transfers (helping
move from bed to chair, wheelchair to toilet
or to a car, etc.). In practice, the list has
evolved to now include meal preparation,
medication reminders, light housekeeping (of
only the client’s occupied space), errands, and
even assistance with exercises.
Sounds simple, but clients still seem
unsure of what they can ask caregivers to do.
Here are just a few of the creative questions
we are asked at Visiting Angels.
“My husband is too heavy, I don’t want to
hurt myself. They can lift him, right?”
“Can she take orders for my internet
business while Mom is watching TV?”
“My wife’s blood pressure goes up when I
am messy, can they clean up after me, for her
sake?”
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
“Can the caregiver go up the attic to bring
down the boxes and sort through them?”
“Our caregiver is a great cook, why can’t
she make enough for the whole family?”
I’m always reminded of the question from
a 50 year-old local realtor that still makes me
hyperventilate: “Can you send me a caregiver
who is beautiful and will wear stilettos so she
can accompany me to a party I have to go
to…you know, make sure I don’t fall, since I
am still weak from the stroke?”
I must always remind folks that our
CAREgivers are not housekeepers although
they will straighten up rooms where the
client hangs out. (Especially in a home where
infection control is needed). Please hire house-
keepers for major clean-ups! And no, they can-
not get on a ladder to clean the cobwebs from
your beautiful high ceiling or reorganize your
hoarder aunt’s home.
On another note, experienced and/or
trained caregivers know the proper techniques
to transfer a client but they are not “Amazon”
men and women. If transferring your hus-
band can hurt your back, it can hurt theirs as
well. You may need a lifting mechanism — a
OSHA-compliant agency will not allow a care-
giver to lift more than 25 lbs. dead weight!
Safety and care are the caregiver’s priori-
ties — they need to be within earshot to be
able to respond to a call for help. Why can’t
the caregiver make your bed like 5-star hotel
maids do? They are trained to provide care –
if you want your Mom’s bed made that way,
you need to train the caregiver but not expect
them to do as well—their gift is in
giving care.
The bottom line: care includes not just
physical assistance (grooming, for example),
but engagement or emotional support (for
mental health) and monitoring (which could
include sitting with the client) to be sure they
have help should they need it. Oftentimes,
the mere presence of the caregiver actually
provides the client peace of mind and comfort.
Many a time, a client is prevented from
falling because the caregiver was right there
when the client attempted to stand up and got
dizzy, or the client was saved from choking
on food. You don’t ask the plumber to help
change your grandchild’s diaper while he waits
for a clogged drain to clear. Allow your care-
giver to focus on providing care to your loved
one. If you are uncomfortable paying them
to be there during down times, work with the
Agency or the caregiver directly, to have them
there during the busier times. Let them do
what they are best at —giving care.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
gmhtoday.com