Skip to main content

The Match-Maker by Tucker Labare

Caregivers are one of the most important aspects of in-home care as they interact with the clients on a daily basis and ensure that the clients are well taken care of. As important as it is to have qualified, caring and experienced caregivers in Vermont and New Hampshire at TLC Homecare; it is just as important finding the correct caregiver for each home care client. Home healthcare is all about keeping clients in a safe and comfortable environment as they age and the caregivers have everything to do with this. But just because a caregiver has years of experience, it does not mean their personality or skill set will match that of the home care client they are working with. It is my job to play “match-maker” to ensure the client, client’s family and caregiver are all happy with the home health aide.

The process of choosing the correct caregiver for a home care client starts the minute that new client comes on board with TLC Homecare. As soon as they choose TLC Homecare as their in-home health care provider, I look to see where the client is located which allows me to narrow down which pool of caregivers to choose from. I then take a look to see what home care hours are needed as this allows me to narrow the pool of caregivers down even further since some caregivers are looking for a lot of in-home healthcare hours, while others are looking for fewer hours. The final step is to find out important information about the home care client. Does the client have any special needs that only certain caregivers are able t deal with? Do they enjoy certain activities? Do they have a preference when it comes to males or females?

Once all of these things are taken into consideration I contact the caregiver that we feel would be the best fit and see if they are interested in working with the home care client. The caregiver then begins to work with that client and we hope that it is a good match. Typically, if it is not a good match personality wise or skill wise, we will hear about it quickly from either the caregiver or the client’s family. Our overall goal is to ensure that each client gets to age happily in the comfort of their own home. We want all of your clients to have the following experience when everything is said and done: “TLC’s wonderful staff was tremendously helpful in supporting us in having my father home on hospice. They were amazingly flexible, going the extra mile on numerous occasions to fit around our schedule. The individual caregivers were skilled, patient and caring. We never would have been able to do this without TLC, and it meant so much to my father.”

With that said, it is not always guaranteed to be a good match between the caregiver and the home care client, but TLC Homecare will do whatever it takes to ensure each client ends up with a caregiver they are happy with. It is a bit of a puzzle, but thanks to our wonderful in-home healthcare aides we are able to eventually match each one of our clients with a qualified, caring and experienced caregiver.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

My Story to becoming a Caregiver by Yenda’Me Malia, LNA

I grew up in Claremont, New Hampshire with my mother, father, and older brother, Tony. All of us were healthy, except for Mum, she was always sick. I cannot remember a time in my childhood, or my adulthood when she did not have something wrong with her. She had Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, ovarian cancer, and diabetes, to name a few. She fought hard to be well, and, with the exception of all her life-threatening illnesses, she was able to lead a somewhat normal life. There were, however, a lot of trips to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, a lot of check-ups with her general practitioner and a lot of treatments; some common, some experimental, some that could kill her. As a young child in elementary and middle school, I worried about my mother all the time. There were many days I envisioned coming home from school to find her deceased, and it terrified me. When I knew she was having a particularly bad day, I would do extra chores to help her out, so she could rest. I knew, from that young age...

Sharing is caring By Wendy Bombard BSN RN

When did I determine that caring for others in the nursing profession was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life? Between birth and elementary school age, I required several surgeries at two large hospitals. It was here, between the ages of four and nine that I watched the nurses do their everyday work. As a child, I was excited by the human body, and realized that I had a love for the health care profession. I was given the opportunity to do some community service in ninth grade. I knew immediately that I wanted to be a candy striper in a rehabilitation facility. I remember my first day at the center dressed from head to toe in a red and white candy striper uniform. I remember sitting on the edge of Maggie’s bed and despite her glass eye that wandered around, was focused on her detailed stories of her past. I was captivated. She would share with me how happy she was to see me every week and I felt incredibly special. I felt like I was doing something good with my life, and I fe...

Spring is in the Air... Time to Head Outdoors

Although it may feel like warmer weather will never come, it is right around the corner. With warmer weather, comes the opportunity to get outside, enjoy the fresh air and get exercise. It is important for both the mind and body to be outside and away from the comforts of your own home, as long winters can make it feel like you have been stuck inside for months on end. According to a study completed in 2010, time spent outdoors make people feel “more alive”. This study illustrated that spending time outdoors can lead to an increased sense of energy; which is vitally important for both the mental and physical health of an elderly individual. According to the study done by Richard Ryan, a psychology professor at the University of Rochester, "Nature is fuel for the soul. Often when we feel depleted we reach for a cup of coffee, but research suggests a better way to get energized is to connect with nature." It is evident that spending time outdoors is critical to a full ...