Full Time
Seeking care for my father in his 80s. Services needed: bathing / dressing, meal preparation, medication prompting, help staying physically active, transportation, light housekeeping, errands / shopping. Looking for someone with 7+ years of experience caring for seniors. Specialized care needs: CPR/first aid training, nursing experience, support for memory care. A little more about my father: he can be outgoing, independent. He is an accomplished, well known attorney and former local politician who still practices law but hasn't been able to recently due to a decline in mental agility and intermittent health conditions. He can be quite crass and candidly honest but is generous and fair and can be very entertaining to be around. He's full of knowledge and knows how to tell a story. He is hands down a gourmet cook!! He is independent and usually sharp as a tack. Lately he's been more confused and less able to handle his activities of daily living. He is a gourmet chef as well!
He just built a new house on the same property he's lived on for his entire adult life. His children each have homes on the same property.
He uses a wheelchair only at home. He walks with a cane otherwise. He uses adult diapers independently. He appreciates assistance getting dressed. I'm looking for someone who is patient, firm. The ideal caregiver for my dad would be someone who doesn't mind a good story and doesn't mind learning to cook fantastic foods in the kitchen where my dad is when he's not in the courtroom. He needs someone to help him stir foods and pull things out for him when he's cooking.
We need a caregiver who is able to read a situation easily and adapt accordingly. Someone who can "read the room" and can recognizes non verbal communications to avoid unintentionally annoying my father.
The ideal caregiver wouldn't take a crass comment the wrong way and shouldn't necessarily need thick skin but would need to be ok with constructive criticism if such a conversation arises.
Someone with a calming yet easygoing nature who is resourceful and can be firm if it's in his best interest. He's well known and well respected by many and you won't be able to accompany him out somewhere without many folks stopping to speak.
It's possible that the coverage we need may include trips to his law office if he rebounds some but for the most part he needs help at home and as a liaison to streamline communications amongst providers and family.
