The downside of hiring a Caregiver

Weird headline, I know, especially coming from me ... when every blog post I’ve published on caregiving has been upbeat and positive about why you absolutely need to bring a great caregiver into your life.

And how this is the key to creating more balance, energy and freedom in your life.

I mean, we even created a best-in-class training program on how to find, hire, and train a great caregiver and nurture a wonderful relationship with them. (Learn more about The Caregiver Support Formula).

So why would I focus on the downside to all of this?

Well, with just about everything in life, there are trade-offs. There is a cost and price related to everything that we do and every decision we make.

The question becomes, is bringing a caregiver into your life worth your time and energy?

Here’s a hint: the answer is a resounding YES!

But you need to be prepared, to understand these “costs” (and I don’t mean monetary), and what you’ll be sacrificing.

Here’s a view to what I mean.

First, is your privacy.

Or lack thereof.

You’re going to have people in your home. A lot. Nice people, of course, but they’re in your home, nonetheless.

This will create situations where you can’t talk freely because your caregiver is within earshot. And I guarantee it will happen when you are bursting to talk about some burning topic.

Not only that but despite your best intentions to keep private things private, your caregiver is going to know certain parts of your life. And they’re going to witness your behaviour at all times. If you’re in a grumpy mood, they’re going to see it. 

Second, is personal baggage.

We all have some baggage. You have it. I have it. Your caregiver certainly has it.

Everyone has a life outside of your caregiver needs and some of that is brought with them. Into your home. With your child.

It’s human nature. It’s unavoidable. If you can recognize this early on, then you can help to minimize the impact, and help your caregiver through any issues.

Third, dealing with HR-like issues.

What do I mean by that?

Even if you don’t pay your caregiver directly or have hired them through an agency, they still work for you.

For all intents and purposes, they are your employee. So, like any professional relationship, you’ll have to function at some level like a Human Resources specialist in order to deal with things like tardiness, conflict with others, carelessness, poor performance, and gossip. 

This last one should not be tolerated ever! If you don’t shut down gossiping, it will create a very toxic work (and home) environment.

Lastly, it requires real work.

Building and maintaining a thriving, healthy relationship with your caregiver doesn’t happen on its own. It requires work.

But that’s true of any relationship, right? Except your caregiver is in your home whether you like it or not and some days you don’t have the energy to say and do what you should. And some days you don’t want to, either.

Even though they’re there to support you and your child and you know the importance of having them.

I don’t want to leave you with the impression that bringing a caregiver into your life is overwhelming. It’s not. And there are a lot of great people out there, believe me, which makes the downside not bad at all.

At the end of the day, finding the right person will bring you the freedom you deserve. It will free up your day so you can get to those things you can never get to. It will improve your overall health – that’s not a wild assertion. And it will reduce life’s frantic pace.

We have your back on this. Trust me. That’s what Soaring Families is all about.

Reach out! Let’s chat! Email me at [email protected]

-- Mike --

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25 years ago we were told Ben would never walk, talk or go to school. For a while, it looked like the experts were right. Today, he walks with a walker, uses an electronic talker with his eyes, and is nearly finished university studies.