If you work in the respite care field, you offer an essential service that provides many families with peace of mind. However, it’s important to stay safe. As the name implies, in-home caregivers have to enter a client’s house or apartment—if they’re caring for someone whose mental faculties may have declined, there are some obvious risks involved. That’s why it’s essential for anyone offering professional elderly assistance to keep certain safety tips in mind.

5 Safety Tips for Respite Care Professionals

1. Know the Client

Openly discuss the client’s health, mental state, and general disposition with as many family members or friends as you can. Not all family members are willing to honestly disclose anything negative about a client, so talk to a few to get a general, accurate understanding of what type of person you’ll be working with.

2. Know the Environment

In-home caregivers don’t have the luxury of working in a hospital, where they can become intimately familiar with their work environment. During the initial stages of working with a client, make sure you know where every room in the house is, and identify any risk factors, whether they’re steep steps, potential weapons, or anything else that could pose a safety hazard.

3. Know the Neighborhood

Even if you’re working with an amiable client in a safe home, you still need to be aware of your overall surroundings. That includes the neighborhood. Get a sense of any crime trends in the area, and get to know all the routes you can use to travel to and from a client’s home.

4. Don’t Overexert Yourself

Respite care sometimes involves helping people with mobility issues move throughout their home. While this is an important element of the job, make sure you’re not exerting too much effort. If you injure yourself, you’ll be of no help to your client.

5. Announce Visits

Contact your clients beforehand to let them know you are visiting. Elderly people who live alone can get confused or upset if they have an unexpected visitor. In their confusion, they may believe the person is an intruder.

This field of work is a very rewarding one. Just make sure you protect yourself.

If you know someone who needs respite care in the Honolulu, HI, area, get in touch with the professionals at CareResource Hawaii. They’ve earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau by offering compassionate, professional assistance. Contact them online, or call (808) 691-4663.