Job Description for a Home Caregiver
Home caregivers work with patients in their homes who are recovering from a surgical procedure, are physically disabled or mentally impaired, are dealing with a chronic illness or are otherwise unable to care for themselves on their own. They play an integral role in the health of a patient by ensuring that they are taken care of on the road to recovery or in the absence of family caregivers.
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Job Duties
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Home caregivers provide patient care in a number of areas, including hygiene and physical needs, such as bathing and meal preparation. They may also take care of household chores, such as laundry, cleaning and errands outside of the home that their patients are unable to complete. Home caregivers also monitor the medical condition of their patients and administer medications and treatments as prescribed by the patient’s physician. They report the status of their patient’s progress to their supervisor, who is usually a nurse or social worker.
Work Environment
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Due to working in patient care, home caregivers can work extended and prolonged hours to meet the needs of their clients, including evenings and weekends. Patients requiring around-the-clock care may receive care from home caregivers working in shifts. Home caregivers work with a team of medical professionals to ensure their patients are receiving adequate care. Therefore, they should be accustomed to working in a team environment. However, home caregivers often find themselves working independently with their patients and should be able to problem solve and work without supervision with their clients. The work of a home caregiver can be physically demanding, as they lift and assist patients with movement. It can also be mentally and emotionally draining to work with chronically ill or disabled individuals.
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Education
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Educational requirements for home caregivers varies by employer. Most home caregiver positions do not require a high school diploma or undergraduate degree and instead rely on on-the-job training by medical professionals in order to learn the duties of the profession. These duties include patient hygiene and care, sanitary housekeeping, dietary needs and cooking, customer service skills and administration of medical treatments and prescriptions.
Advancement
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Home caregivers who desire to advance in their field can do so by becoming certified by the National Association for Home Care and Hospice. This certification includes 75 hours of instruction, clinical work under the observation of a nurse and an exam. Home caregivers with several years of experience may advance into supervisory or administrative positions. Additional education in a field related to allied health care is another option for advancement for home caregivers.
Salary and Career Outlook
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most home caregivers earned between $7.81 and $10.98 an hour in May 2008. These figures are dependent upon education, experience, employer and area of the country.
Due to a rapidly aging population, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the career outlook for home caregivers is expected to grow much faster than the average when compared to other occupations. A high turnover rate in home caregiver positions will also leave many vacant positions ready to be filled by competent home caregivers.
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References
- Photo Credit home, image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
