Bringing in outside care can be fraught with emotion. Adult children feel guilty about not being able to meet every one of a parent’s needs themselves. The senior client may be resentful and/or confused about why “a stranger” has to be in their home in the first place.
Love 2 Live’s administrative staff and caregivers have handled these sensitive issues before. We’re happy to report that even an apprehensive beginning almost always ends in a warm, caring friendship, not only between caregiver and client, but between the caregiver and family members as well. This post goes through what to expect when working with Love 2 Live Care.
How do we achieve this success with our senior clients?
A Careful Match
Love 2 Live Care Services uses a specific system when assessing the best caregiver/client fit. We utilize a thorough screening process for both our clients and our caregivers, determining the personal quirks, interests, personality traits, and dispositions that would result in a mutually enriching match. We succeed in this because we really do put extra care and attention into the placement of specific, hand-picked caregivers with each of our clients. Winning or placing in the San Diego Union Tribune’s “San Diego’s BEST” Reader’s Poll for six years in a row now attests to the difference that our thoughtful approach makes!
When onboarding a new client, our process typically entails:
Fielding an Initial Inquiry Phone Call: We use this time to answer all of the questions a prospective client (or their loved one) has. We ask questions about on the prospective client’s physical care needs, anticipated schedule, background, personality and interests/hobbies. We often encourage scheduling a FREE in-home assessment and safety inspection at this time.
Conducting an In-Home Assessment: Sheila or Kevin come to the prospective client’s home to engage in open dialogue, discussing what type of care plan and schedule would best serve the prospective client. While there are a series of topics we like to touch on, we do aim to keep the meeting very casual and conversational, so the prospective client and their loved ones feel at ease with the whole process. The goal of the meeting is to obtain medical history and learn about current needs. We also make sure the prospective client and family members gain a sense of trust and comfort with Love 2 Live’s ability to provide the needed care.
Assigning Caregiver(s): Sometimes we are able to place in your loved one’s home the very next day. In other situations, the turnaround time may be a bit longer. Time to placement depends on different factors, including: the type of care schedule requested; whether the care needed is short-term or expected to continue indefinitely; client’s location; as well as the availability of caregivers who are currently available to fill such shifts.
When it is time to place a caregiver with a new client, we very carefully compile and review all of the information gathered from the in-home assessment and develop a customized care plan for the senior. This care plan is shared with the caregiver prior to ever working a shift with the client, so they have a very thorough understanding of the client’s full needs and desires.
Ongoing Communication with the Client & Family Members: Once a care schedule is in place and the appropriate caregiver(s) have been assigned, the office staff notifies the client and/or client’s family members. Often, when a case is just getting started, we continue to send weekly email updates so the client & family know exactly which shifts are covered with which caregivers. We always strive to keep the schedule as consistent as possible by sending the same familiar caregiver or caregivers. As long as the client and caregivers are equally happy with the match, we continue on with that same schedule.
Especially for the first couple weeks into a new schedule, the office staff will make consistent contact with the client and their family members to ensure all is off to a good start. Constant communication ensures client needs are being met and misunderstandings avoided.
During employment tenure: Caregivers are encouraged to check-in with the office staff to provide updates on how their clients are doing, as well as to let us know how pleased they are on their current assignments. The level of comfort and pleasure our caregivers experience on the cases they’re assigned to is equally as important as is our client satisfaction. The office staff acts as the information hub and support system for both clients & caregivers, quickly responding to any urgent scheduling issues or medical emergencies that may arise.
We Welcome Feedback! We always encourage clients and the rest of their care team to engage in open communication with us, to let us know how our caregivers are performing. If you are pleased with the service or feel there is room for improvement, we’re all ears! We maintain our stellar reviews (and reputation) by listening to constant feedback from you, our clients.
Office Manager Frani, Founder Sheila, Jean (retired) and Director of Operations Kevin
We Make Sure Working with Love 2 Live Care Is a Delight
Love 2 Live Care’s owner, Sheila Korn, knows firsthand the stress involved with finding suitable at-home care for a loved one. In fact, it was the need to find quality care at home for her mother over 15 years ago which prompted her to start the Love 2 Live business. Now she is directly involved in hiring only the most caring and competent caregivers. That personal touch is what makes all the difference!
Feel free to call us at 619-291-4663 or leave us a message on our contact form and we’ll call you. You can also “like” our Facebook page to get an up close look at our company culture and our approach towards senior care. We also regularly provide informative, topical posts on the latest legislation affecting seniors, as well as suggestions for fun outings and events around San Diego to keep our seniors engaged all over town. Find out more, and contact us today!