A caregiver is a person who cares for an elderly individual, an older family member, friend, or relative when in need. More than 1 in 6 Americans are now pursuing caregiving as a full-time career. They get paid to provide physical and social support to an aged person who may be disabled or too weak to function without assistance.
Most caregivers live with the individual they’re taking care of. If it isn’t possible, they pay weekly visits. Their basic job is to arrange every resource for the client's daily chores. However, sometimes caregivers are just there to provide good company. Not everyone is cut out for the job of a caregiver. A caregiver must have some special qualities.
Anyone who wishes to be a caregiver must have the following characteristics:
Tolerance
Patience is required of those who provide care to others. Being patient implies that the individual recognizes that plans may change and things may not go as expected. They should expect hesitation from the person getting care and must act to ease and make the situation as comfortable as possible.
Empathy
To provide adequate care, you must learn to put yourself in someone's shoes and for that empathy or compassion is a basic need. Psychology Today describes empathy as the ability to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of another person. You cannot understand somebody without empathizing with them. Empathy is a very important quality in caregivers.
Detail-oriented
When providing home care, the caregiver must be aware of even the most minute requirements and changes that are occurring. The caregiver must notice any physical or psychological change in the individual he or she is caring for and must report it to their guardian or healthcare provider. This is the quality that distinguishes between average and the best caregivers. The best are those who observe every step of their client without even notifying them.
Reliability
The majority of people who require home care do so regularly. It is more likely to happen on a daily basis, thus a caregiver must be dependable and show up to provide the care that the client requires and expects.
Honesty
Caregivers can easily access the personal items of the person they are caring for. Thus, it is critical that the caregiver be trustworthy and honest. A caregiver should never betray that confidence by exploiting the individual for whom they are caring for. Honesty should not be limited to worldly belongings. A caregiver must be honest with the secrets of their client. If the person they're caring for shares some secret, they must keep it to themselves and not tell people around or joke about it.
Caring for a person seems easy to many but it isn't so. You have to invest your time, energies, and emotions in somebody with pure, honest intentions and make sure to assist them both physically and emotionally. It requires great patience, resilience, and compassion that not all of us have. At Effraim Home Care, we believe that home care is not a vocation for just anyone; we handpick the people we believe are made for it. If you would like to join our team of caregivers, complete the online application and we will get back to you. Reach out to us today at (215) 826-7422 to learn more about our in home care services in Bryn Mawr and the surrounding communities.
Comments are closed.