Finding the right level of care for friends and family members with learning disabilities is a must, as you need to know that their needs will be properly understood and properly catered for.
If you’re currently looking for learning disability care, it’s essential that you have an idea of the key characteristics, attributes and personality traits that care providers should have in abundance if they’re to be able to look after your loved one as they need.
To help you narrow down your search, here are some of the main qualities you should keep in mind when finding the right kind of carer for you and your family.
Compassion
Always look for compassion in a potential caregiver, as kindness and understanding will ensure that they’re able to provide the kind of support that’s required, while making sure that the person they’re looking after feels respected and valued, no matter what.
Competency
As important as kindness and compassion undoubtedly are, it’s vital that your carer is fully qualified and trained in a wide range of areas.
Working with people who have learning disabilities and potentially complex needs can be challenging, so being trained to cover individual needs (such as autism, epilepsy, non-verbal communication and so on) is an essential trait, rather than a desirable one in any carer you choose to hire.
It’s worth checking to see if they’ve been trained in positive behavioural support, as this includes understanding the reasons behind certain behaviours (including physical health, emotional needs and life history), all of which can have an impact on the quality of care provided.
Collaboration
Another key aspect to consider when looking to enlist the services of a professional carer is whether or not they’re able (or willing) to work closely with you and your family.
Your needs and wants are important and, of course, you know your loved one the best so you must make sure that your carer listens to you and values your contribution when it comes to care provision.
Communication
Another top quality to be on the lookout for is good communication skills. You place a huge amount of trust in a carer when you leave your loved ones with them, so you need to know what’s going on at all times, with any developments or changes communicated properly and in good time.
Flexibility
Being rigid in the approach to care provision isn’t likely to yield positive results when working with people with learning disabilities or, indeed, anyone in need of a certain level of support.
Ascertaining whether your carer can be flexible and adaptable in their work is important, so you know they’ll be able to tailor their service provision to suit different circumstances as and when they arrive.
Get in touch with Concept Care
\If you’d like to find out more about Concept Care and how they can help provide compassionate care for your loved ones, get in touch with the team today.
