How to transition from one client to the next

As a caregiver, your employer will assign you to care for new client every once in a while.

Transitions can be difficult, especially if taking care of a new client means leaving an existing one.

Sometimes you will create strong relationships with your clients, so leaving one for another can be sad.

Because we know it's difficult to transition clients, below we have outlined tips on how to connect with a new client.

1. Approach your new client with the same enthusiasm that you showed your previous one.

Having a new client can be difficult.

Maybe you shared a great bond with your client before, so the transition can be sad. Our best tip when you transition to a new client is to try to be excited about getting to know them. Though they're someone new, you can get to know them just as well as your last client, and maybe even create a stronger bond.

This is why we recommend you show up to the new client’s house each day excited to care for them and ready to get to know them.

2. Ask them about themselves

To get to know the new client, ask them about their life and their favorite memories.

Examples of questions to ask them are:

• Do you have kids? If so, what are your kids like?
• Where did you grow up?
• What’s your favorite place you’ve visited?

By asking these questions, you'll get to know your client well. This helps you create a stronger connection with your client and makes the job more fun.

For example, if you ask them about their kids, they will most likely be happy to share about people they love. This

3. Do things they enjoy

Another great way to get to know your new client is by doing things they enjoy.

Examples of things to do with them are: 

• Play a card game, like Uno.
• Go for a walk in the neighborhood
• Watch their favorite movie with them

Doing any of these things is going to show your client that you

1. Care about things they like
2. It's a great way to have fun together.

For example, when you do something like watch a client’s favorite movie, they will be happy someone helped them do something they like.  They will also be excited about the activity and happy to share that with someone.

4. Remember that each client is different.

Another tip we have is to always remember that each client is different.

For example, maybe your old client needed assistance with bathing, but you shouldn’t always assume that each client has the same needs as your last. We recommend that as you get to know your new client, you always ask about their preferences so you can understand them as well as your last.

An example of times when you might ask about their preferences are:

• When you're making them food
• When you're helping them bathe
• When you're picking a TV show
• When you're helping them get dressed

When you start a new job, make sure you’re careful to understand your client’s preferences at all times. The instances highlighted above are just some examples of times when this is important. Make sure you remember this all the time.

5. Keep working hard to get to know more about your client.

Our final tip when you transition to a new client is to always work hard to get to know more about your new client. Whether that means spending extra time each day asking questions about their life or spending extra effort trying to do things they like, we recommend you try your best to get to know them.

Once you try your best to get to know them, you your day-to-day life will be easier because: 

• You already know what they like to eat, what time they like to shower, what shows will make them happy, and what they like to talk about.
• Stronger relationships between any two people are known to enhance levels of happiness.

Summary:

In order to get to know a new client, we recommend you:

1. Approach your new client with the same enthusiasm that you showed your previous one
2. Ask your client about themselves and try to do fun activities with them
3. Remember that each client is different &
4. Keep working hard to get to know more about your client.

If you follow these steps, you will find it much easier to transition from your old client to the new one.

We want the transition from your old client to your new one as easy as it can be, so we hope these tips will help you!

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