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Preparing your home to accommodate a live-in caregiver can be an overwhelming task. There are some specific things you should do to prepare your home for a live-in caregiver to do their job of caring for your loved one safer and more conveniently.
Preparing a home for a live-in caregiver includes relocating bedrooms and bathrooms and installing safety features like railings for better accessibility in your house. Setting up communication methods, necessary working tools, and office space will help prepare your home for a live-in caregiver.
Because live-in caregivers’ jobs are to physically and often emotionally care for your aging family member, it’s essential to prepare your home to ensure safety, accessibility, and ease. This article will discuss how to prepare your home for a live-in caregiver.
1. Set Up a Bedroom and Bathroom
A live-in caregiver will be in the client’s home full-time, so they will need a bedroom and bathroom for personal use. If there is a guest bedroom in your home, it would likely be suitable for the caregiver’s use.
If not, you might have to set up a new one in the following ways.
- Hire a contractor. Depending on your space, needs, and budget, you could hire a contractor to build a bedroom addition in the home (or transform an existing one). Hiring a contractor is a pricier option, but it may be necessary if you don’t have a suitable space for a live-in caregiver.
- Transform an office. Finding the space can involve brainstorming about rearranging your home’s layout to accommodate a live-in caregiver. Transforming an office or study room into a guest bedroom could be a solution to providing caregivers with their own space. Transforming a space is cheaper than building a new room for the caregiver.
It’s not mandatory to give the caregiver their own bathroom, but ideally, they have one of their own so as not to have to share it with the client for sanitation purposes.
The bedroom and bathroom should come with basic furnishings. You should provide a bed with sheets and a closet or dresser to store clothes and other personal belongings. The caregiver should have space in the bathroom for hygiene products and toiletries.
When considering the layout of your home, don’t forget to think about the levels of the house. Would your caregiver be better suited to have a bedroom on the same floor as the client if there are multiple levels in the home? Which floor? How easy is it for the caregiver to move between their room to that of your loved one?
Ask yourself how best to accommodate the caregiver and your loved one. Consider what other accommodations you can provide for your live-in caregiver, and consult with them about what they may require to fulfill their personal and professional needs.
2. Install Lift Equipment
Depending on the home’s layout and your loved one’s needs, lift equipment might be necessary to help move and care for your family member. Without the appropriate equipment, improper or heavy lifting can cause injury to the caregiver.
If your loved one’s bedroom is on an upper floor, a staircase elevator might help them access their space. The elevator prevents the caregiver from carrying or lifting the client alone.
You can also install lift equipment in the bathroom to help with hygiene needs. The caregiver can use the equipment for purposes such as transferring the client into and out of the shower.
Caregivers can also use portable lifts around the home for clients in wheelchairs. These lifts are often purchased at health equipment stores. An example would be the Hi-Fortune Patient Lift Electric Foldable Hydraulic Body Transfer for Home Use, which comes with both the lift and the sling for all transferring needs.
3. Install Safety Equipment
Installing safety equipment around the home can help your caregiver care for their client.
Grab bars, railings, and call buttons are excellent resources for your loved one and the caregiver. If caregivers, for example, transfer the client from a wheelchair to a bed, a railing on the bed can provide extra support for both individuals during the process. However, the caregiver should be careful about the risks. Read my guide to learn more. Do Side Rails Actually Prevent Falls? The Facts Explained
For mobile seniors, railings and grab bars offer extra support and encourage continued independence, which is sometimes tricky for aging family members to relinquish.
Bed railings, walkers, and shower bars are also incredibly useful. Depending on need, the ZUEXT Bathroom Grab Bar is a simple option, or the Opove 12-inch Grab Bar takes up less space.
Toilet frames, like the Toilet Safety Frame & Rails, provide support for your loved one when using the bathroom. Using the toilet is where dignity, privacy, and respect for the individual should be first and foremost. When your loved one feels like they can maintain their independence, the job of your live-in caregiver will be smoother.
The ORFORD Non-Skid Wheelchair Ramp is excellent for car transfers and ascending or descending small staircases for those with mobility issues.
You should install safety equipment as necessary and in the rooms of the house that are used the most, such as the bedroom, bathroom, staircase, and garage.
4. Prepare Communication Methods
Hiring a live-in caregiver can be extremely helpful. Still, it’s vital to ensure that you and the caregiver have effective communication methods to discuss the needs of every party involved (yourself, the caregiver, and your loved one).
You might want to use a communication notebook kept in a common area such as the kitchen, weekly e-mail updates, or in-person chats. Communication can look however is most convenient for your family and employee.
Still, keeping track of communications between you and the caregiver is important because the work is a transaction.
Communication should also happen before hiring to discuss other essential topics of conversation such as finances, driving and insurance, parking, and security (think– background checks, references, etc.).
Something else to consider before hiring is time off and vacation time for the live-in caregiver. According to labor laws, all working employees are entitled to time off and vacation; these things are necessary to maintain adequate mental health and prevent burnout.
Not only should you discuss this with the caregiver, but you should also consider what options are available for caregiving support while your primary caregiver is away.
5. Ensure Supplies Are Available For Household Chores
Caregivers don’t just provide physical and emotional support to your aging family member. They also complete various household duties, which are to be expected during moments of care.
Some of these responsibilities include
- Cooking meals and cleaning up afterward
- Cleaning of bathrooms and showers or tubs
- Laundry
- Medication administration
- Groceries, packing lunches, running errands
- Light chores such as vacuuming or sweeping
- Clean-up after accidents (spills, leaks)
As a result, your live-in caregiver should have the necessary tools to complete these household duties.
Dedicating a specific cupboard to household cleaning items such as dish detergent, cleaning sprays, rubber gloves, and mop pads is a good way to ensure your live-in caregiver has everything they need.
The same goes for supplies needed for chores such as laundry and cooking. Laundry detergent and cooking supplies should be easily accessible for the caregiver to complete their duties.
6. Prepare a Small Office Space
If possible, you should prepare a small office space for your caregiver to complete any necessary paperwork or administrative work. For example, many caregivers must keep track of daily medication and other such records. A dedicated space to perform these tasks will help the caregiver keep accurate records.
This space can be another room in the house. Or on the other hand, you could provide the live-in caregiver with a desk and chair in their personal space, which they can use for the administrative tasks of the job.
7. Ensure Medical Equipment Is Accessible
Some seniors may require certain medical equipment to live happily and healthily.
An example of necessary medical equipment would be a sleep apnea machine– a nighttime oxygen machine that helps people overcome difficulties breathing while asleep. Or, a senior with medical needs such as diabetes might have an insulin pump and glucose tests that are regular aspects of their care.
All medical equipment of your aging family member should be easily accessible to your live-in caregiver. Whether the equipment is spread out throughout the house or stored in a pantry or storage room– the live-in caregiver should know where all necessary equipment is kept.
Consult with the caregiver to determine the best location for all medical equipment to ensure it is easily accessible for their use.
8. Provide Your Live-In Caregiver With a Key
Needless to say, your live-in caregiver will need to be able to access the house at all times and lock it up whenever they leave. Providing your live-in caregiver with a key when they move in is essential to accommodate them into your home.
Purchase a Lock Box
You may purchase a safe or security box to store your belongings for safety purposes. The RPNB Deluxe Safe and Lock Box is a multi-level keypad lock box that can store cash, jewelry, and other valuables. Keeping your valuables locked up will help you be more comfortable sharing your house key with the live-in caregiver.
You might also want to consider a similar lock box for the caregiver, so they feel comfortable keeping their valuables when living in their client’s home.
Provide Access to the Internet
You should also ensure that you have a functioning wireless network in the home and that the caregiver has Wi-Fi information. Having Wi-Fi ensures that your live-in caregiver with internet access so they can communicate with their colleagues, friends, and family. It is also an easy way to provide access to leisurely activities they can pursue in their free time without leaving their client.
Provide Access To All Entryways
Additional to a key to the front door, live-in caregivers should have access to any other entryways or exits in the home. Garage door openers and garage or back door keys are examples. You should also keep your live-in caregiver informed of any spare key locations.
Access to all entryways will help your caregivers look after your loved one in case of emergencies.
9. Prepare All Documentation
Several documents need to be set in place for when the live-in caregiver moves in. These documents include wills, medical records, insurance documents, and legal and healthcare documents required for employment purposes.
You should also have your live-in caregiver prepare the necessary documentation, such as proof of employment, identification, police and background checks, and references. Many are also advised to find representation for finances, and any receipt-keeping booklets should be organized.
Another critical piece of information for your live-in caregiver is any emergency contacts available, such as friends or other family members, doctors, or even neighbors. Prepare and provide a list of these contacts for the caregiver to access if necessary.
10. Clean the Home
Get your home professionally cleaned, especially the live-in caregiver’s bedroom and bathroom. These spaces should be cleaned before their move. The floors should be swept, vacuumed, and mopped; the toilet, sink, and shower should be bleached in preparation.
The bed should be functional and have clean sheets and pillows. The bedroom should also have proper heating and air conditioning units to maintain a comfortable temperature for the caregiver, especially in cold or hot months.
If you don’t have central heating or A/C, there are portable units you can purchase that will help keep the live-in caregiver’s room warm or cold.
A freestanding Space Heater or the Compact Freestanding Portable Air Conditioner are two convenient portable units that quickly heat or cool a room.
Final Thoughts
Preparing your home for a live-in caregiver may take some dedicated effort, but the benefits are well worth it. Rearranging the layout of your home, preparing a guest bedroom, and installing safety and lift equipment are often the first steps to welcoming a live-in caregiver.
Other obligations include cleaning, organizing space, and ensuring accessibility for the caregiver and your loved one. After this read, you hopefully better understand how to prepare your home for a live-in caregiver.
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