Training a New Attendant: The First Week

Before day one

• Prepare a one-page profile of your parent. Name and preferred form of address, age, main health conditions, allergies, hearing, vision and speech, memory, mobility and aids, diet and swallowing needs, daily routine, likes and dislikes, language, religious practices and what calms or upsets them. Add a short life story, because knowing that your father was a teacher or that your mother loved cooking helps the attendant connect.
• Make a medicine chart with names, purpose, times and special instructions, plus who gives them; see giving medicines safely at home. Do not hand over the key to all medicines on day one without a clear plan.
• Write an emergency sheet: numbers for family, the doctor, the nearest hospital, a neighbour and 112; the address in the local language and English; and a very short list of "call 112" signs; see knowing when to call the doctor and ambulances and emergency numbers in india.
• Prepare the space: a tidy room, clean bathroom, a place for the attendant's belongings and rest, and a safe place for valuables.
• Tell your parent what to expect, who is coming, and what the person will do and not do. Ask for their preferences and any worries.
• Prepare the paperwork: the written agreement, copies of IDs and verification, and the contact list; see hiring a home attendant checklist.
• Plan who will be present, ideally a family member or a nurse, for most of the first two days.
• Arrange a nurse or physiotherapist to demonstrate key skills during the first week, such as transfers, turning, catheter or skin care if relevant.

Day 1: welcome and the basics

Goal: make everyone comfortable and set the pattern.

• Introduce the attendant to your parent with warmth, saying what you hope for. Let your parent speak. Give them time to chat.
• Show the house: kitchen, toilets, bedroom, where supplies are kept, how to switch on lights, fans and the geyser, how to use the door locks and what to do in a power cut.
• Walk through the profile and daily routine together, and give them a copy.
• Go through the emergency sheet, practise calling the family and 112 on the phone, and make sure they know how to give the address. Test the pendant or alarm if you have one; see panic pendant buying guide.
• Discuss house rules: phone use, visitors, smoking and alcohol prohibition, food, break times, cleanliness, hand washing and handling of valuables.
• Do a few simple tasks together, such as making tea or helping at lunch, rather than observing from a distance.
• Show where the diary is and how to fill it; see care diary and handover notes.
• End the day with a short chat: what did they find easy? What was confusing?

Day 2: personal care and dignity

Goal: agree on how intimate care is done, respectfully.

• Explain what dignity means in your home: knocking before entering, closing doors and curtains, covering the person, asking permission, speaking kindly, not discussing your parent in front of them as though absent, not taking photographs; see dignity and consent in care and dignity in intimate care.
• Observe, then do together: bathing, toileting, changing pads, dressing, skin care and mouth care; see bed bath step by step and bathing safely with a shower chair.
• Ask a nurse to demonstrate any personal care tasks that need technique, such as catheter care, stoma care or pressure care; see catheter care basics for families.
• Infection control: hand washing, gloves, waste disposal, laundry and cleaning of commodes; see infection control for home caregivers.
• Respect your parent's rhythm: do not rush; offer choices where possible.

Day 3: moving safely and preventing falls

Goal: protect your parent and the attendant from injury.

• Arrange hands-on training from a physiotherapist or nurse in transfers, walking support, using aids and turning in bed; see how to lift and transfer safely and turning a bedridden patient. Make sure the attendant never lifts a person alone beyond their training or pulls on arms.
• Review fall prevention: clear paths, non-slip footwear, dry floors, light at night, a commode or a toilet routine; see falls risk assessment at home and night-time toilet trips and falls.
• Teach what to do after a fall: do not lift, check for injury, call you and 112 if needed; see what to do after a fall.
• Check aids: walker, stick, wheelchair brakes, bed height and rails; see hospital bed at home guide.

Day 4: food, fluids and medicines

Goal: safe eating, drinking and medicines.

• Show the diet: likes, dislikes, textures, allergies, diabetes or salt restrictions and fluid goals; see hydration for older adults.
• Teach safe feeding: upright position, small mouthfuls, watching for coughing, the choking plan; see feeding someone who cannot feed themselves.
• Medicines: be clear who sets up the organiser, who gives each dose and how it is recorded. The attendant should never change a dose, stop a medicine or give anything extra, including painkillers, tonics or home remedies, without asking you or the doctor. They should report refusals, missed doses and side effects. Injections, including insulin, should be given only by a trained person; see insulin and injections at home.
• Check blood pressure or sugar readings if the doctor has asked, with training on the device; see how to measure blood pressure at home.
• Mealtimes in practice: the attendant prepares and serves one meal under your guidance.

Day 5: observing, reporting and emergencies

Goal: know what to watch for and when to call.

• Make a short "tell me straight away" list, such as chest pain, breathlessness, a fall, new confusion, fever, no urine for many hours, vomiting, black stools, a new skin sore, refusing food and drink, and any bleeding.
• Make a "call 112" list: unconscious or unresponsive, severe breathlessness, signs of stroke (face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty), chest pain, seizure, choking, heavy bleeding, serious injury, low sugar with drowsiness. Practise the call.
• Explain what not to do: do not give medicines for symptoms, do not try to treat serious problems at home and do not wait to see if it gets better.
• Role-play a scenario: "Papa has fallen and cannot get up", asking the attendant to walk through the steps.
• Teach good observation and record-keeping in the diary: times, what was eaten and drunk, toileting, mood, sleep, any concerns.
• Reassure them that calling early is correct, and that no one will be blamed for raising an alarm.

Day 6: routines, activity and company

Goal: care beyond tasks.

• Go through the daily rhythm: waking, wash, breakfast, medicines, exercise, rest, lunch, activity, evening routine and night routine; see daily routine chart for a frail parent.
• Encourage meaningful activity: walks, prayer, music, conversation, hobbies, family calls, safe exercises as advised by the physio; see chair exercises for seniors.
• For dementia: explain the person's patterns, how to respond to repeated questions or distress, and what to avoid; see caring for a parent with dementia at home and dementia communication tips.
• Night care: expectations, rest and safety; see night-time caregiving.

Day 7: review

Goal: talk honestly and adjust.

• Sit down together with the attendant, your parent if possible and a family member.
• Ask: What is going well? What is hard? What do you need from us? Is anything unclear?
• Share your feedback: start with specific positives, then raise concerns calmly and concretely, with examples and a suggestion.
• Hear your parent's view: privately if needed. Notice mood, appetite, sleep, any fear or discomfort.
• Check the diary and the home: hygiene, safety, medicines and supplies.
• Decide: continue, adjust tasks, extend the trial or end. Confirm the pay and schedule for the next weeks.
• Put the next training date in the calendar, and a regular time for brief check-ins; see supervising a caregiver from another city if you live elsewhere.

Giving feedback well

• Do it privately, soon after the event, calmly and specifically.
• Describe the behaviour and effect, not the person's character: "When Papa was left alone in the bathroom I felt worried because he can slip" rather than "You are careless."
• Explain the reason for the rule.
• Show the correct way, and let them practise.
• Notice and thank good care.
• Treat the attendant as a partner, not a servant.

Red flags in the first week

Consider stopping or seeking advice if you see: rough handling, shouting or threats; your parent seeming frightened or withdrawn; unexplained bruises; missing money or items; refusal to follow safety rules; sleeping on duty; leaving your parent alone; pressure for advances or loans; secretive behaviour; or lies about tasks done. See how to stop elder abuse. In danger, call 112. Elderline 14567 offers information and support for senior citizens; check current availability.

When to ask a professional

A nurse or physiotherapist should teach hands-on skills. The family doctor can give written care instructions. The agency should support and replace staff when needed. A lawyer can advise on contract and employment questions. In an emergency, call 112.