Why Time Management In Home Care Is Important

Time management is a critical component of successful home care, and should be prioritized by the person getting help, any family caregivers or supportive family and friends, and of course, the professional caregiver. 

Ultimately, a home health aide is visiting your home or the home of your loved one to help lighten the load and ease the burdens of aging at home, or the stress of being a family caregiver. 

From daily senior care services to help with daily tasks of living, to respite care, where care is given for a shorter duration when family caregivers are on vacation or simply need a break, there is so much flexibility when it comes to home care. And ultimately, it’s about how time is managed. 

As a care team, identifying daily, weekly, or monthly activities or goals and prioritizing accordingly can make a huge difference on the impact of care.

Let’s examine time management in home care a bit more closely.

Some family caregivers and seniors struggle with delegation.

It might feel strange having someone come into your home or the home of your loved one to suddenly take over daily activities of living. This can be especially difficult for older adults. 

It’s hard to delegate even the smallest task when you’ve done it for years by yourself, but easing the burden of these tasks plays such a big role in the ability of seniors to age gracefully at home. If running up and down the steps carrying laundry is becoming too difficult and dangerous, it should be put on the list of tasks for someone else to do. 

But, perhaps meeting in the middle at times can help ease the transition. For example, seniors could possibly still sort the laundry and divide it into stacks, or have someone bring it upstairs and fold it. 

Keep goals in a visible space – and stick to them.

Whether you’re the family caregiver or the person receiving care, personal goals are a great motivational tool to help you stay on track and work toward something. Plus, it’s fun to work by yourself and with others toward something!

Goals should be more than daily tasks and can be whimsical or life changing. As family caregivers, having a goal beyond caring for a loved one can help you stay grounded and make your life fuller if something happens to the person in your care. Having a personal goal is a reason to get up in the morning and be more active if you’re the person receiving care. 

Seniors could set their own goals privately, or could work with their care team to set them together. But, keeping them visible for motivation (and highlighting progress) is a great tool. Whether it’s a health goal, financial, or something else entirely, get to work 🙂 

Stick to a schedule.

Put your goals and plan in writing, identifying the order of occurrence. Having a schedule in writing helps family caregivers, the person receiving care, and the home care helper. If you don’t have someone helping you and it’s the first time to have home care, scheduling your day provides consistency and a visual guide for the home care helper. Write the information on a calendar. It can be online, a wall calendar, or a planner.

 

• Taking the steps to create priorities also helps the service providing the help. You may not require someone to come to your home but benefit from virtual care or reminders.
• Having a monthly schedule can ensure that help is available when necessary. If you need a ride to a doctor’s appointment, you can schedule it on the same day as grocery shopping with your home care helper.
• If you’re a family care provider, taking time away for yourself is revitalizing. It should be part of the list of priorities. It helps you renew, refresh, and stay healthier to be your best.
• Most people find that it doesn’t take much help for them to remain in their homes. It may be as simple as having help a few hours a week for meal preparation, cleaning, or providing transportation.

 

For more information, contact us today at (405) 461-6175 or at LiveBetter At Home.