A caregiver, also known as a personal care attendant or PCA, is someone who helps a person with a disability with the activities of daily living that everyone engages in. These activities include bathing, dressing, cooking, housework and much more. A PCA can be anyone from a registered nurse to a friend or a neighbor. Some agencies will even allow a boyfriend, girlfriend or spouse to work as a PCA.
Depending on the disability and the level of care they require, a person may have one attendant for a few hours a day or several who work full time throughout the day.
Defining the Relationship and Setting Boundaries
The first thing you need to do after you hire a personal care attendant is to define the relationship.
You will need to decide what kind of relationship you want with your PCA. Do you want a strictly business relationship? Do you want friendship? The truth is that it is nearly impossible to work with someone on such an intimate level and not have the relationship consist of both business and friendship, at least on some level.
It is important, though, to not let friendship be the dominant dynamic in your relationship with your personal care attendant. The dominant dynamic must always be that of employer and employee. Allowing friendship to become the dominant dynamic will only lead to problems down the road. Problems arise when the roles of employer and employee are not clearly defined.
Dealing With Problems
It is important to remember that personal care attendants are human and that a bad day can happen to anyone. Problems at home shouldn’t be brought to work, but it happens sometimes. Try to be patient and understanding. You can care and be pleasant while still maintaining a good working relationship.
It is also important to deal with any issues that your attendant may have quickly and as professionally as possible. Control your emotions and your temper, if you have one, and deal with the problem in an appropriate manner. Just like any other employee, your PCA deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
Avoiding and Dealing With Stress
The job of a personal care attendant can be a stressful one, even if the PCA works just a few hours a day. The best cure for burnout, defined as feelings of discouragement or being worn out, is to avoid it altogether.
Some ways to help your attendant avoid stress and burnout include:
- Try to include variety in your attendant's daily schedule. Be as flexible as you can be within reason. For instance, alternate which days and which attendants accompany you on errands.
- Ask your attendant about their hobbies and activities outside of work. Try and learn something about them so that your attendant will not feel uncomfortable bringing them up at work.
- Recognize holidays and birthday with a small token. A simple card can do wonders to lift your attendant's mood.
- Ask about your attendant's children. Every parent is delighted when someone takes an interest in their child.
- Try to be as flexible as possible when attendants need time off and do your best to accommodate these requests by always having backups in place.
Follow these tips or come up with your own ways to keep your attendant happy.
Sources
Megan Abrams - I have lived with the effects of a childhood stroke for more than half my life and offer a uniquely personal perspective on disability.
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