Are you considering a career in caregiving but can’t decide which path to take? As someone providing nonmedical care to others, each day as a professional caregiver brings new fulfillment opportunities along with the occasional challenges. Although it may be hard to predict your daily or weekly routine with absolute certainty, here’s what to expect when working as a professional caregiver – along with reasons why specializing in-home care might be more fulfilling than any other job you’ve had before. 

What Does a Professional Caregiver Do?

In general, a caregiver is a trained healthcare professional who assists an individual with activities of daily living (ADLs). This care typically becomes necessary when someone reaches old age or has a disability or illness that leaves them unable to care for themselves.

Where Do Caregivers Work?

A caregiver traditionally works one-on-one with a patient or client who requires nonmedical care. That said, you’ll find caregivers working in settings that include:

  • Hospitals
  • Long-term care residential facilities
  • Assisted living communities
  • Adult day care
  • Medical clinics
  • Private residences (home care)

What Does an In-Home Caregiver Do?

Using home care as an example, these are some of the more common duties you will be asked to perform while serving in the role of a professional caregiver:

Personal Care

  • Assistance with hygiene
  • Bathing
  • Grooming and dressing
  • Transferring and ambulation assistance
  • Incontinence care

Companionship

  • Recreational activities
  • Sort and read mail.
  • Incidental transportation
  • Religious reading and reminders
  • Discuss current and historical events.
  • Escort/transport to appointments
  • Entertainment
  • Behavioral assistance to improve overall emotional well-being and quality of life

Homemaking Services

  • Light housekeeping
  • Laundry
  • Running errands
  • Grocery shopping
  • Meal planning and preparation
  • Medication reminders
  • Changing bed linens
  • Vacuuming

Why Might Home Caregiving Be Your Calling?

When working for the right employer, here’s what in-home caregivers love about their jobs:

Highly Gratifying

While serving in a client’s home, you’ll feel a deep sense of job satisfaction and instant gratification. Although there are many jobs out there that offer comparable pay and benefits, few are as emotionally rewarding as in-home caregiving. As a caregiver, you’ll be asked to provide meaningful work that benefits clients, families, and entire communities!

Healthy Work-Life Balance

As a home caregiver, you pick and choose your hours. This scheduling flexibility makes for a great career for any person at any stage of life, most notably for part-time students or those with young children.

Supports Client Independence

When seniors don’t have enough family caregivers to look after them, moving into a long-term care facility is a distinct possibility. Your efforts as an in-home caregiver will allow clients to live safely, comfortably, and independently in their own homes.

Personal Growth

Personal development is also vital in any job. A career in the homecare field will allow you to grow on a personal level, as well as on a professional level. By working in a supportive and nurturing environment, you will be able to take advantage of many different opportunities as you blaze a unique career path based on your time, talents, and experience.

Skill Specialization

Being an in-home caregiver will also open new doors that ultimately enhance your skill set. Through home care, you can either focus on elder care, pediatrics, or something in-between while building a career working within a specialty you enjoy. Whether you love assisting new parents bringing their infant home for the first time or an aging adult with complex medical needs, becoming a home caregiver puts you on the right career path to success.

Recession-proof

According to estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in healthcare-related occupations is expected to grow appreciably over the next decade. Even during an economic recession, the demand for qualified home caregivers will only continue to rise. That means you will be able to take advantage of a robust market for home care jobs for many years to come!

Ready for a Career Change? Let’s Have a Conversation

If you’re interested in an exciting, challenging, and fulfilling career in the rapidly growing home care industry, Senior1Care would like to speak with you. Due to our expanding client load, we are currently seeking qualified candidates to fill several open caregiving positions in Elkhart, IN.

We offer competitive pay, flexible hours, great benefits, performance bonuses, and the opportunity to work in a positive environment while surrounded by fellow compassionate professionals. Whether you’re a CNA, nurse, therapist, or another type of healthcare professional, we’d love to hear from you. What are you waiting for? To learn more about how to pursue an exciting career opportunity with Senior1Care in Elkhart, IN, today, please visit us by clicking here now.