Caregiving: A Great Career Option in 2022

Caregiving jobs can be enriching for the correct sort of individual. 

Elderly caregivers are in great demand. You probably know there are many opportunities for caregiving jobs in most communities. Caregiving jobs can be in nursing homes, hospitals, adult day care centers, and clients’ homes. This article will share caregiving information and reasons for wanting to consider caregiving jobs. If you are considering a caregiving career, this article may help you determine if a caregiving career will be the correct fit for you. 

Good Reasons for Considering Caregiving Jobs

Reason #1. You enjoy working with people, and most want jobs where you have one-on-one interaction with others. Human beings are naturally social creatures. And when you consider that people spend one-third of their lives at work, it is clear that good relationships with colleagues will make your jobs more enjoyable.

Reason #2. You enjoyed taking care of elderly family members and would like to help others in this way. Elderly adults long for respect, love, and affection. With you as a caregiver, understanding their needs and concerns will ensure their good health.

Reason #3. You like doing work that likely makes a difference in someone’s life. Old age is a sensitive phase. And older people need comfort and care to lead a healthy life without worries and anxiety. Thus, a caregiver who is aware of and understands these behavioral patterns of the elderly can make a big difference in their lives. 

Reason #4. You like making and seeing someone smile and doing little things to improve a person’s day. Studies show that smiling releases serotonin, endorphins, and other natural painkillers. Together, these brain chemicals make people feel good from head to toe. They elevate one’s mood, relax your body and reduce physical pain. Hence, a caregiver knows how to inject that natural painkiller. SMILE and let SMILE!

Reason #5. You are seeking a career with growth opportunities. The primary way to grow as a professional is to find ways to improve your relevant knowledge and skills. You can achieve this by seeking out new experiences and responsibilities. 

Reason #6. You are willing to take continuing education to do your job well and learn new skills. Even if your pursuit of education is purely for personal reasons, you can genuinely take advantage of advanced learning to become a better person. Now is the time to get started on a new journey that will change your life.

Becoming a Home Caregiver

Becoming a Home Caregiver depends on your state and the type of caregiving job you seek. For some, anyone providing hands-on care must either be a home health aide or a certified nursing assistant, and all employees must pass the required background screening. These agencies presume that all caregivers may encounter the need to provide hands-on care at some point. So they only hire people with these qualifications. There may be companion positions at other agencies that do not require these certifications, but they feel it best equips their caregivers to handle clients’ needs.

Agencies determine their other hiring requirements. They require all applicants to score above 90% on their home health aide test and fit their personal qualities profile. Also, some agencies provide their own specially designed orientation training.

The Challenges and Benefits of Home Care Caregiver Jobs 

In-home caregiving is unique, although it requires the same skills as a caregiving job in any setting. Below are some of the factors you probably consider to be a home caregiver:

• You enjoy independence and a lot of flexibility in your job.
• You like developing a relationship with a client and working one-on-one with someone. 
• You can think on your feet and be creative.
• You enjoy and prefer a home-like environment.

On the other note, you may be a better fit for a facility-setting caregiver job when:

• You prefer working with others daily and the camaraderie of an office environment. Not to mention a uniform environment for working.
• You do not enjoy conversing with clients or one-on-one activities, but you prefer to work with different people. 

Summing It Up!

 A caregiver is a person who gives any physical and emotional care for an ill or disabled loved one at home or in a care facility. Check out Eleanor Gaccetta’s One Caregiver’s Journey, a memoir of her caregiving experience, published in 2019. She decided to retire to provide full-time care to her mother after breaking her hip at age 93.  

Moreover, loved ones and individuals in need of care include those suffering from a physical or mental illness, disability, substance misuse, or other condition. Caregivers often take on the patient’s responsibilities while still providing for themselves and other family members.

Providing care is also beneficial to the caregiver. Knowing that you are touching people’s lives and transforming their lives can be very emotionally fulfilling. It can improve the way one relates to other people. 

Further, this article is a way to thank all those who aid in caring for those in need. After all, the actual value of caregivers far exceeds any monetary worth.