Challenges of care giving profession

How much money might someone be paid to care about another’s life, their interest, happiness and well-being? Sadly, not as much as is paid to an average professional. We may not be aware but Caregiver, a person, whose job is to look after someone who can no longer function common daily activities on his or her own, paid on the average of only about $14 per hour while the challenges of care giving profession are seven folds. The job description may look as easy as it sounds but you can’t possibly imagine how tedious and risky the job is! Anyone can apply to be a Caregiver but not everyone can sustain its challenge.

As a Carer, you are expected to be honest, patient, humble and compassionate to ageing individual who might have lost his or her memory. Looking after a senile patient is like looking after a baby, only that the so called “baby” can run or walk away from you without you noticing it.

Unfortunately, for you as his or her Carer whatever happens to him or her when he or she absconds is your liability. As a carer, the patient’s safety and security is not your only concern but you also have to look after his or her physical, emotional, financial, spiritual needs and well being in coordination with the entire health team. For a Carer to meet all these aspects that a particular resident or patient is seeking would be quite impossible especially if he or she doesn’t have the knowledge and training that a caregiver should possess.

Being a professional caregiver, I recommend anyone interested to become a caregiver to take a short-course on Aged care or care giving before accepting a job. If you have completed any such course, you might receive a better payment offer from employers.

A training on Basic Life Support and first-Aid in organizations like the Red Cross will be very useful. In some Rest Homes and Hospitals, senior carers are kept on duty. They are more knowledgeable and experienced. Senior caregivers are usually competent in providing quality cares, and in ensuring safety and security of a resident or patient.

In countries like Australia and New Zealand, Senior carers are allowed to administer medications in the rest homes granted that they have finished their medication competency. A qualified personnel such as a Registered Nurse is usually present to supervise them and to provide further education. Being a Carer can be physically tiring, especially in Rest Homes that allot you with 5 or 6 patients or residents.

You have to shower some clients that are dependent or bedridden and you have to spoon feed each of them during every mealtime. It could also be mentally straining for caregivers because some patients or residents can be aggressive, agitated or just out of their mind. So, it is important that a person who applies for a job as a caregiver must have passion to care for the elderly or debilitated clients because at the end of the day it is not the pay that counts but the lives that you have enriched.

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