Have you ever wondered what a career in the world of senior care looks like? If so, you aren’t alone. This is an industry that is rapidly growing and as such, more and more people are looking for careers here.
If you’re curious about what this career path might look like, you’re in the right place. Here is a brief guide to what a career in senior care looks like.
Professional caregivers start out with extensive background checks and then training. This is how reputable care services ensure that the right people are in these positions of trust and that they have the right background to effectively help the people that they will be serving. This takes several weeks and should include the opportunity to shadow experienced employees.
The type of care provided will determine what the typical day looks like. However, all caregivers share a few traits. Tracking medications, providing for needs like getting to the bathroom, moving around the house or facility, and being on the lookout for safety or health concerns are universal things that caregivers do.
The type of care will determine the specifics of how it’s administered. A nursing home caregiver will have a different set of duties than an in-home caregiver. Someone that specializes in memory care will have different concerns than someone who works with someone recovering from a heart attack. However, each caregiver has the same goal–to make life better for the individuals they work with.
There are definitely some preconceived notions when it comes to the type of individual that is in the care industry. There’s the view that only women serve as caregivers and that the vast majority of these women are a little bit older, and not highly educated. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Both men and women act as caregivers, and they come in all ages, education levels, backgrounds, and so on. There’s no one population or “type” that fulfills the role of a caregiver.
To be sure, a career in senior care isn’t right for everyone. It takes a special kind of personality and temperament to be a great caregiver. But, if this sounds like something that might appeal to you, please know that there is a lot of opportunity in this field right now. Changes that have come about because of the pandemic and increased understanding and awareness have created new career opportunities and the potential to support yourself and your family in a way that didn’t exist ten years ago.
And the odds are, there are at least a few care companies in your community that are desperately in need of more staff. With the general need for staff across the economy as a whole and the growing number of senior citizens that need assistance, the need for senior care is bigger than ever and it’s going to continue to grow for the foreseeable future.
If you’d like to talk more about senior care–either as a career or as a service for yourself or a family member–we’re happy to talk more with you. Get in touch with us today to start the conversation.
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