The concept of CDPAP or Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program has become widespread all over New York. Many agencies have been established wherein a consumer can enroll and get themselves a caregiver to take care of their health and assist them in the routine task. The advantage of such a facility is two-fold. A consumer can make the most of the care and personal aid that they get from the caregiver, and the caregiver who takes care of the consumer gets paid in return.
FreedomCare is one such agency where a consumer can enroll for CDPAP and choose their own caregiver. Such a caregiver can be a family member or a friend. If a consumer has chosen you as their caregiver, it is imperative to take care of their health and aid them in their routine task to perfection.
We have assembled some tips to help you play this role more perfectly. Here is how you can be a successful caregiver for your family member:
Be Organized:
Firstly, you need to be organized and work according to a plan. Being organized as a caregiver will not only reduce your stress towards your duty but will also ensure that your loved one gets proper care from you. You can start preparing yourself to face all the challenges involved in caregiving and personal assistance.
Plan your routine by assigning realistic goals and priorities for the day and work to accomplish them. Put aside the tasks that are not important in the first place. Pay your attention to the short-term goals for the day and accomplish them so that you are not burdened by all the tasks altogether by the end of the day.
Start with preparing the meal, bathing the consumer, and feeding them on time. You may take care of other chores later in the day.
Take assistance:
The best advantage of the Consumer-Directed Personal Assistance Program is that the consumer can choose more than one caregiver at a time. It can work in your favor as well. You can seek help from your co-worker when in need and vice versa. When two people work together, it minimizes the efforts and burden. Hence, you can assist and care for the consumer more efficiently.
Communicate:
Communication is an essential part of caregiving and personal assistance. It is crucial for you to communicate with the patient and to acknowledge all his needs and requirements. Thankfully, the process becomes much easier under the Consumer-Directed Personal Assistance Program. It is because the consumer is not an alien to you. They are your loved ones with whom you share some bond and intimacy. Thus, communication doesn’t become a problem.
Develop the skill of problem-solving:
Caregiving is not an easy task. It involves solving many problems. The problems associated with your loved ones may arise out of their chronic illness or advanced age or others. Dealing with such problems may become more challenging for you.
We advise you to identify the cause of the problem in the first place and then discuss it with the consumer. Find out the immediate and helpful solutions to the problem. You can develop a strategy or a long-term plan if the condition of your loved one changes or deteriorates. Always start by considering potential problems and try to be ready with their solutions. Be prepared to make the necessary changes and act according to the need of the hour. You may as well take advantage of the community resources in solving the problem.
Takeaway:
Caregiving can be a challenging affair. Time and again, it becomes hard for the caregiver to enable their loved ones to live a quality life. Many times, the caregivers also get exhausted, physically and mentally while taking care and assisting their loved ones. It is, therefore, advisable to give yourself a break from time to time so that you can bounce back to the duty more positively the next day.
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