When a person starts a new position as a carer for an elderly person, their role is more than just a job to the person they are looking after and their loved ones. No matter the level of care they are hired to provide, carers are helping to bring companionship and support to someone who needs it — and that is priceless.
But with this job comes immense responsibility and trust that is built between the older adult, the carer and the employer (usually someone from the older adult’s family). As many will unfortunately learn, mistakes at work can happen that may cost you the job. These common missteps can be as well-intentioned as becoming too close and crossing boundaries, or life-threatening — like embellishing when it comes to your experience.
Even if you have the experience a family is looking for, you could be susceptible to common pitfalls between older adults and carers when caring for the elderly. Here are some common mistakes at work that carers make and elderly caregiving tips on how to fix them before they cause serious harm or cost you a job.
Common mistakes at work and elderly caregiving tips on how to address them
Getting the job isn’t the hardest part. Once you nail the interview and start working, ensure you continue to build a strong relationship with your employer by following these elderly caregiving tips.
1. Mistake: Being late to work
One common mistake is being continually late and trying to cover it up, not acknowledging it or mismarking time sheets. Ultimately, as with any job, chances are this will only go unnoticed for so long, and the elderly person you are caring for or their guardian will eventually take notice and broach the subject. If you are coming in to relieve another carer and are continually late, they may report you.
The outcome of what seems like a minor issue can actually prove more sobering. It’s important to remember that when you’re on the clock, you’re responsible for what happens to your client when they’re in your care — even if you’re not there.
How to fix it: Start by reflecting on why it is that you’re always running late and immediately address those issues. Then, in addition to curbing your tardiness, give up your habit of covering up lateness. If the problem becomes a long-standing issue, your client may ultimately choose to address it by showing you the door.
2. Mistake: Lacking awareness of the generational divide between a carer and their client
Caring for the very old, people in their 90s, can present very different challenges than caring for someone in their 70s and 80s. Understanding different generations and their perspectives may be a struggle for younger carers — but it’s crucial in order to avoid conflict and successfully care for the client.
Older people may have different philosophies or priorities when it comes to manners, tidiness or money matters — and these may clash with what you feel is in their best interests. Take this into account when responding to their behaviour and bear in mind that what doesn’t matter to someone your age may really bother someone much older — so be diplomatic when implementing seemingly small changes that stress them out.
How to fix it: Carers must become aware of these “sticking points” and find ways to make the situation work so that their client is appeased but not put at risk. They must learn to “read the room” and make an effort to understand the perspective of the person they are caring for. Finding a compromise — and a way to see the funny side — is a good way to defuse difficult situations and secure an outcome that keeps the client safe and happy, too.
Though you don’t want to be dismissive or appear to be making fun of them, it does help to keep things light, and humour and cheerfulness can be a tool to help distract them from something less important.
3. Mistake: Not reporting changes in behaviour
Carers often see changes in an elderly person’s mental or physical condition long before they are evident to the family or general public. For example, they will know if there’s been a change in the patient’s eating habits or memory, or if they aren’t getting out of bed every day. Although most report changes in condition, some carers forget the importance of their role in ensuring the client’s overall health and well-being, beyond their immediate care needs.
How to fix it: If you aren’t already doing so, regularly update your client’s family or guardians on how they are doing and suggest speaking to their GP or practice nurse about ongoing issues.
4. Mistake: Not following safety policies
Whether laid out by the agency you work for or your employer, chances are specific safety procedures will be in place to protect both you and the individual you’re caring for. It’s crucial that these are followed to ensure the client’s health and well-being and to ensure that you yourself are not involved in an accident in their home –whether responsible for it or the victim of it.
How to fix it: Be proactive about taking refresher courses and continuing to review safety handbooks. Research elderly caregiving tips on looking after the older adults in your care. Having frequent and easy access to these procedures ensures that they will stay fresh in your mind. If you find yourself forgetting, set reminders and leave notes for yourself to help you remember key safety steps.
5. Mistake: Not being on the same page as family about an elderly person’s care
If the carer’s agenda isn’t aligned with their employer’s priorities, this can very quickly lead to problems while caring for an older adult. It’s important that all parties are on the same team, working towards the health and well-being of the person receiving care. If some are more worried about physical welfare and others are concerned about mental stimulation, you might find yourself torn between conflicting priorities.
How to fix it: Carers need to be flexible and touch base with their employers as time goes on, because the plan and purpose of care that was initially laid out will likely change with the elderly person’s health.
It’s important to be willing to adjust. If the older adult in your care experiences significant physical or cognitive decline over the course of your time together — for instance, as a result of a stroke or the progression of an ongoing condition — the way you treat them may need to be tailored to their new reality. Things you used to do to help them live a healthy life, such as ensuring that they eat regular meals or take light exercise, might cause them stress or difficulty and require a different approach.
The key way to avoid this friction is by practicing “adaptive care”. Consider meeting regularly with your employer to discuss how the client is doing and whether the current approach is appropriately suited to their current needs. Collaboration can engender a sense of mutual respect and communication as everyone pulls together to support the elderly person as they really are, right now.
6. Mistake: Overpromising on your skill set
Embellishing about your skills or experience can have life-threatening consequences. For instance, claiming to have expertise in transferring patients who need assistance or a solid understanding of dietary restrictions like pureed food when you don’t have such experience or can’t execute these tasks safely and correctly can result in life-threatening accidents like falls and choking.
How to fix it: If you have lied about your experience, you need to be upfront about it. However, if it is a question of not knowing whether you are doing something the way your employer would prefer, offer to have them observe so as to ensure everyone is on the same page. Having a planned meeting to discuss how things are going or a supervised care session early in the going is a good idea to make sure any clear adjustments or precautions can be made to tailor the care appropriately.
7. Mistake: Making ethical violations
Carers need to strike a balance between the medical and practical care they provide and their relationship with the client. But many carers end up treating their clients like family to get them to work with them and comply with care plans. This often crosses what should be professional boundaries, leaving clients with the belief that this is a friendship or forgetting the clients’ susceptibility to affection and attention. This is why a rota of different carers is often recommended.
While getting on well with your clients can be a rewarding experience for all involved, the problem with friendships is that they often lead to loans and gifts, flexible hours and inappropriate intrusion into the patient’s personal affairs.
How to fix it: In addition to establishing new boundaries, carers should request support from their supervisors and additional training where available. They should also avoid accepting any gifts, loans or requests to intervene in family matters. If they feel they have become too close to their clients, carers are within their rights to request that they work with someone else — for everyone’s benefit.
8. Mistake: Being on your mobile phone too much
It’s an issue that plagues all of us, and it’s particularly problematic for carers. Being glued to your phone at work is likely to distract you from the task at hand — your client’s immediate needs.
How to fix it: The best way to pre-empt or end conflict over mobile phone use is to be upfront and ask about it. If you find out that the older adult you’re caring for or their loved one who hired you isn’t comfortable with it, have an open conversation about why you may need to keep your mobile on hand, and find ways to compromise. Elderly people who aren’t very tech-savvy are more likely to be irritated or alarmed by excessive phone use and its implications for their safety and privacy.
And if having your mobile phone out is a must, look for ways to make it less offensive to the client. For instance, if you need your phone nearby for your own personal caregiving or parenting commitments, it’s a good idea to turn it into a tool for entertaining or supporting your client. They may enjoy discovering the ability to listen to music or make video calls on a smartphone — improving the quality of their life and making them more comfortable.
The bottom line
Caring for someone else is an essential job that shouldn’t be taken lightly. And for many families who are entrusting you with their loved one, there simply isn’t room for repeated errors.