Elderly Care
Caring for kids and caring for the elderly are two different things. According to the Hong Kong Population Projections, the elderly population is growing in Hong Kong. Unquestionably, a lot of families are asking for an extra hand. If you are wondering what skills a domestic helper should have to fit this job, you’re in the right place.
In this article, you’ll have the chance to gain more knowledge on what the necessary skills are looking for from a domestic helper who’ll help you take care of the elderly.
Listening Skills
Older people tend to be more talkative as they share about past stories and what happened to them during a certain point in their lives. At times, they might feel lonely and isolated because their children are working or busy with their own families. It is just typical that they want to have a companion that would listen to them.
With this, a domestic helper must understand how important it is to be present and listen to their stories. Sometimes, it can be something funny, their achievements, or the regrets they have or things they should have done when they are younger.
No matter what their story is, they need a person to listen to them. Make sure that a domestic helper is patient and willing enough to sit with them.
Conversational Skills
Elders appreciate it more when aside from being heard, someone also initiates a conversation with them. Most likely, giving them logical explanations might be already hard for them to understand. It is better, then, to use storytelling to explain things to them. Just like children, they might prefer this over strict instructions.
Domestic helpers should know how to communicate, add some humour, and use conversational skills to make the elderly happy. Find someone who has a pleasant personality and can engage a conversation using any topic that the elderly can relate with.
First Aid Skills
It is also likely that seniors are more prone to bruises and scratches because their reflexes and senses are not the way they were. First aid skills come in handy. For example, if the elderly had an accident such as a cut, having first aid skills will help a lot.
When wounds are cured, it saves the family from a lot of stress and also a lot of medical fees. Make sure that you find someone who knows how to do first aid skills, especially when you’re not around. If your domestic helper doesn’t have any knowledge, you can let them attend training courses. If you want to know more about this, read about it on this post (insert link of training courses for first aid)
Knowledge of physiotherapy and massage
It is not a surprise that seniors will suffer from arthritic discomfort. This can range from muscle soreness, joint pain, difficulty in walking or even standing up. Of course, elders must be brought to the doctor from time to time. However, relying on a domestic helper is also inevitable.
Having this scenario in mind, you should find a person who knows physiotherapy. This skill will contribute a lot to the elder’s health. This can help them overcome high blood sugar, blood pressure and more.
Organization Skills
Some older people are already taking maintenance, other medication and vitamins. That means there are schedules and specific times where they’ll take pills. Your domestic helper must have the presence of mind when these medications should be sought.
They should be able to track the time and the day and know which is the right medicine to take. This is important because if you are working, the domestic helper is responsible for making sure the elderly receive their medical needs. Also, a domestic helper can list it down and then present it to the doctor when needed.
Hiring a domestic helper who is trained and skilled will help you in the long run. Let us help you by using our site to find the best candidate. Make a rigorous interview and research. You should find these skills before they start working for you.
