Guest blog by Lawrence Henderson

Psychology major

What being a carer entails.

Whether you are currently taking care of a loved one or planning for the future, it’s a good idea to be aware of what being a carer entails. Some people simply just do not have time to provide this valuable service and therefore need to procure the services of an experienced home worker or care worker. But how can you know for sure that the person in question is qualified to be a care worker? There are no real formal qualifications that must be had in order to serve as a care worker, so it really comes down to experience, character and a variety of other elements that you’ll have to verify on a case-by-case basis. We’ll outline some of the requirements of being a care worker you should be on the look-out for – both good and bad – to help you make the best decision.

Positive Attitude
Above all else, a care worker should exude positivity when you first meet them. It takes a lot of patience and willpower to be a consistent care worker, so nobody who has a negative attitude needs to be looking after your loved one. Much like children, the elderly will pick up the emotions of those who are around them more easily; do we want our loved ones having to deal with negative emotion all of the time? A positive attitude makes a care worker’s job easier, but perhaps more importantly, it makes the patient much more comfortable in their circumstances, which is especially helpful when living in assisted living facilities where an increasing number of elderly individuals find themselves.
Reliable Transportation
One of the biggest requirements of being a care worker is being able to drop everything at a moment’s notice. The need to get to and from various places is crucial in many circumstances, and can make the difference being life and death. Having access to valuable transportation is important when providing at-home caregiver services. A caregiver will be able to rush a patient to the hospital in quicker time than it would take for an ambulance to make the round-trip. In addition to this, we know that our elderly loved ones may need to go on errands, enjoy shopping and have the occasional outing – a care worker’s vehicle will often be necessary for these occasions.
Desire to be Proactive
Whether it’s simple household tasks or running errands when the patient is incapable of accompanying them, a care worker must have a proactive approach when signing up for any opportunity. The reality is that it is impossible to outline up front all of the little requirements of being a care worker for any one patient – and experienced care workers know that. Those who try to hammer down specific areas in which they will help and specific areas in which they won’t are probably either new to the field or simply don’t understand what being a care worker is all about. We highly recommend that you avoid any care worker who wants to put multiple stipulations on the level of care they’ll provide.
Familiar with Medical Procedures
This is perhaps the only area in which you can request formal certifications and training experience to determine whether or not a care worker is qualified. Any care worker may face the unfortunate task of handling a life-threatening emergency and time is of the essence. The ability for the care worker to perform CPR or other life-saving methods at a moment’s notice should be a vital consideration in whether you hire them or not.
Experience with the Elderly
Dealing with patients who have suffered from dementia, Alzheimer’s or other age-related diseases is a vital element that comes with experience. You should absolutely seek out someone who has experienced this before – even if your loved one is not currently facing these ailments – for a number of reasons. First of all, the level of patience it takes to handle patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s is unparalleled. In addition to this, your care worker may spot symptoms of the disease developing before it damages the body too much. While these ailments are not reversible, the severity of the symptoms can be slowed down dramatically when caught early.
Watch Out for Unkempt Appearances
If you see a care worker with an unkempt appearance, then you should definitely consider looking elsewhere. While we have been taught not to judge people based on superficial areas such as appearance, a care worker is required to maintain a hygienic and organised life for their patients. If they do not take great pride in how they look, then how will they treat your loved ones? The reality is that you stand to leave a lot up to chance if you procure the services of what seems to be a sloppy care worker.
When hiring a care worker, you want to ensure that they have a few select characteristics. A positive attitude, proactive demeanour and reliable transportation may be the most important elements. In addition to that, they need to have prior experience with the elderly and prior training in medical procedures such as CPR. An understanding that the job entails all that life can throw at them is a huge part of the underlying responsibilities of the care worker; the perfect match for your needs is out there and you’ll find them with the advice given above.