Signs of Poor In-Home Caregivers

I've been reading a wonderful book which is full of excellent advice on topics related to eldercare.  The book by Robert F. Bornstein and Mary A. Languirand, Ph.D. is titled, When Someone You Love Needs Nursing Homes, Assisted Living, or In-Home Care.  It provides general guidance for those involved in eldercare or making eldercare decisions and includes hints for responding well and wisely to the many emotionally and physically stressful issues associated with eldercare.  The book also contains useful checklists for managing eldercare arrangements and lists websites, addresses, and phone numbers for researching eldercare options.

One very useful list contains warning signs that in-home caregivers may not be honest or competent or both.  Here's the list:

• When you phone to check on your loved-one, the phone is unanswered or you get busy signals.
• The television or radio remains on throughout the day.
• The caregiver has a pattern of late arrivals, early departures, or absences during the work shift.
• Health care equipment including needles and syringes are just thrown in the trash and are handled as medical waste.
• The cleanliness of the home is deteriorating.
• You find evidence of illegal drug or alcohol use.
• The caregiver allows friends into the home or brings friends or children to work.
• Frequent complaints from the care receiver or a deterioration in the care receiver's mood or even fear of the care giver.
• Reports from neighbors or visitors that something is wrong.
• Signs that abuse, neglect or exploitation are taking place.

When you have suspicions that something is wrong, the authors advise that you document the problem, terminate the service and begin looking for a replacement service, and report the problem to the in-home care provider and any local accreditation or certification agencies.

Much of the checklist applies when you check the care your loved one is receiving in a nursing home.  I recently reviewed the Medicare inspection reports for local nursing homes and two of these facilities were recently cited for hiring employees with histories documenting patient abuse.  Needless to say, you'd also want to look for signs that something is wrong whenever you visit a loved one in a nursing home.