Give me your best daughter, best son and your best friend and we will pick one for you. In a McDonald’s environment where we are all conditioned to expect exactly what we pay for, we forget that such is never the case with humans. There is no world’s single “best” champion in care giving because every client is a unique individual and there is no generic caregiver that fits all perfectly. Let’s not forget that the regulations for home health aides were established for the benefit of the government too, not just for the public. The government must figure out how to address everyone who needs care with a very limited number of resources. They are good at spending money, and making rules, but not administering care. A good caregiver starts with their spirit and intent, not just the basic skills and experience. If a caregiver’s communication skills are at a level that is respectable with the family’s standards, then a good caregiver will interview the family and based their assignment the information and knowledge obtained from his/her observation about all the people within each person’s circle of influence. In other words, successful care giving is never a pure-play outsourced engagement. Only a close, collaborative team effort can have a chance for success. For those who need care with no family to assist, there are friends, doctors, case managers and neighbors.
