Maximizing Support: How A New York Home Care Agency & Caregiver Training Work Together

Whether you live in the bustling chaos of New York City or the quieter, scenic upstate, caregiving can feel like a never-ending juggling act. Balancing work, childcare, daily responsibilities, or social commitments with your caregiving role can wear you out quickly. On top of that, certain care tasks may feel beyond your abilities or scope of understanding. Over time, this can add to your stress.

This is where Trualta can help. If you reside in New York, you can access caregiver education, resources, and more to help you build your caregiving skills and community. 

If you live in another state, you can check if you also have free access to Trualta.

Seeking Support

Unfortunately, many caregivers don’t seek help (or reject it when it’s offered). This is because they may:

  • Put all responsibility on themselves. They may feel like they’re the only person who can provide care properly. 
  • Feel pressure to meet expectations. They may feel that sacrificing their needs to care for someone is a sign of their commitment to the person being cared for.
  • Not know where to find help. They might not know what resources are available, how to access them, or believe that all are costly. 
  • Feel guilty for seeking help. Caregivers may feel like asking for help is a sign that they’ve failed their care recipient.
  • Fear being a burden to others. Asking for help may feel like they’re bothering other people. 

Accessing support from others is a sign of strength. It shows that you’re putting aside pride and fear so that you can prioritize your (and your care recipient’s) well-being. You don’t have to do everything alone. 

Home Care & Caregiver Training: A Dynamic Duo

Many sites recommend accessing support or upping your caregiving skills as a way to combat caregiver burnout. But–can combining the two maximize your caregiving potential? Let’s break it down.

What Is Home Care?

First, let’s address home care. Getting help from a trained caregiver can be a key way to access help. Professional caregivers, especially ones from home care agencies, may be trained to offer care for specific conditions. This helps ensure your care recipient receives support tailored to their needs.

Home care is a broad term for services provided in a person’s home that help them manage the effects of illness or disability. The home care services you access can depend on your care recipient’s needs. Generally, they might include:

  • Occupational, physical, and speech therapies.
  • Skilled nursing.
  • Personal care aide services. For example, help with dressing, feeding, personal hygiene, and household tasks. 
  • Home health aide services. These workers can perform the same tasks as personal care aides, but they can also assist with home health care tasks.

A home care agency employs home care workers. In New York State, home care agencies must be licensed or certified by the New York State Department of Health. This means they need to fulfill certain requirements to provide home care services. 

How Does A New York Home Care Agency Support Caregivers?

Here are some ways that a home care agency can support a caregiver: 

  • Reduces stress. Family caregivers who don’t have support are at risk for caregiver burnout. Delegating tasks to others frees up time in your day to care for yourself, rest, learn new skills, or address other responsibilities. 
  • Gives you peace of mind. You’ll know that caregiving tasks are being taken care of by trained professionals. They can also help identify problems that arise. Many caregivers also provide personalized care that is catered to a person’s unique care needs and condition. 
  • Easier to access. Quality care can be provided right in your care recipient’s home, reducing the need for you to take them to facilities to receive services. Some home caregivers also provide transportation to appointments and other community activities.
  • Lower costs. According to the Glenworth Cost of Care Survey, homemaker and home health aide services in New York State amount to less than half the cost of a semi-private room in a nursing home facility. 

Receiving help from home health care or other caregiver services doesn’t make you any less of a caregiver. For many, caregiving is an evolving journey and a learning process. 

Improving Your Caregiving Skills With Online Training

A key part of the caregiver learning process is getting trained. Caregiver training involves developing key skills that you can use to support you (and your care recipient) with care tasks, managing condition symptoms, safety practices, and other situations you may encounter on your journey. Many caregiver training options are available online.

Here are some ways that online caregiver training can benefit you as a caregiver:

  • Stay up-to-date on caregiving best practices, such as providing person-centered care, acting safely in an emergency, and managing challenging behaviors. 
  • Keep up with your care recipient’s changing needs. This can be especially useful if your care recipient has a progressive condition like dementia, Parkinson’s disease, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
  • Reduce stress and provide better care by improving your confidence and competence.
  • Fit learning into your busy schedule. Online learning offers flexibility and convenience, so you can learn whenever (and whenever) you want to!
  • Set yourself apart and stand out. Getting additional training can set you apart from other caregivers, which can be useful if you’re looking to pursue caregiving professionally. 
A new york home care agency caregiver sits on the couch with her care recipient, an older adult man. She points to a tablet and smiles. In the background, the care recipient’s wife sits on a sofa chair while reading a book.

3 Ways New York Home Care Agencies & Caregiver Training Work Together

1. Increase Your Impact

Getting professional support from caregivers like home health aides while also building your own caregiving skills is a win-win. You’ll reap the benefits of professional-level care from a home care service and also ensure your care recipient receives quality care from you. 

2. Support Continuity Of Care & Apply Your Learning

Learning techniques and skills in online caregiver training courses can help you provide a similar level of care to your care recipient after home care workers leave for the day. Even if your care recipient receives medical care from home health care services that you can’t provide, getting trained can help improve your skills in other ways. This helps ensure there are no gaps in care quality! 

3. Invest In Yourself & Take A Break

Accessing home care services allows you to gain the time you need to care for yourself. However, self-care doesn’t always have to look like a fancy bubble bath or a bar of chocolate. Sometimes, it can be in the form of investing in yourself to reduce your stress for the future. 

For example, when your care recipient receives their personal care services from a professional caregiver, you can use the extra time for online caregiver training. 

References

  1. https://companionsforseniors.com/2019/08/benefits-home-care-amazing-stats-trends-reports/#:~:text=For%20members%20of%20the%20%E2%80%9CSandwich,other%20important%20things%20in%20life. 
  2. https://www.activagecare.com/understanding-the-silence-top-3-reasons-family-caregivers-dont-seek-help-for-self-care/ 
  3. https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Accepting-Help-is-Essential.pdf 
  4. https://aging.ny.gov/news/nysofa-agingny-and-trualta-provide-free-web-based-support-platform-all-family-caregivers-nys 
  5. https://www.health.ny.gov/facilities/home_care/consumer.htm 
  6. https://profiles.health.ny.gov/home_care/services 
  7. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9225-caregiver-burnout 

Similar Posts

Sundowning & Technology: Can Smart Home Devices Ease Evening Restlessness?

Sundowning & Technology: Can Smart Home Devices Ease Evening Restlessness?

ByShreeti Tiwari

Advances in technology have made smart devices helpful in easing the lives of people with dementia and reducing caregiver burden. One challenging symptom for caregivers to manage is sundowning, which causes restlessness and confusion, often in the late afternoon or early evening.  This behavior can create stress for both the person with dementia and their…

Caregivers In South Dakota: Things to Do With Your Care Recipient

Caregivers In South Dakota: Things to Do With Your Care Recipient

ByShreeti Tiwari

From Hill City and Hot Springs in the Badlands to Sioux Falls in the east, South Dakota has a lot to see. In this article, we’ll explore local activities you can do with your care recipient. If you’re looking for more caregiving information and live in South Dakota, you have free access to Trualta resources….

South Dakota Education For Caregivers: Car Transfers

South Dakota Education For Caregivers: Car Transfers

ByShreeti Tiwari

Car transfers are a vital skill for caregivers, especially in South Dakota, where rural settings and long travel distances often require safe and efficient transportation. Education and training for caregivers in South Dakota focus on techniques to ensure the safety and comfort of loved ones needing assistance with car transfers.  This guide provides step-by-step instructions…

What Is Sundowning? Understanding Its Impact On Dementia Patients

What Is Sundowning? Understanding Its Impact On Dementia Patients

ByShreeti Tiwari

When caring for people with dementia, a sudden change in behavior can be worrying. One possible cause for these changes is something called sundowning. If you notice increased confusion, restlessness, or other difficult behaviors, especially in the late afternoon or early evening, sundowning could be the cause. In this article, we will review: Interested in…

Does Comfort Care Mean Death? What It Really Means For Patients

Does Comfort Care Mean Death? What It Really Means For Patients

ByShreeti Tiwari

Comfort care can be a confusing term for patients and their caregivers. It ‘s often associated with hospice care, which is end-of-life care. If doctors have suggested your loved one is ready for comfort care, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are already in the dying process.  In this article, we’ll help you understand comfort care….