There are some people who have a naturally caring attitude and who are attracted to careers looking after the frail, sick, and elderly. If you think you have what it takes to ease an old person’s final days you may start by looking at residential care home jobs, but is shift work looking after several old people really what you had in mind?
What about living-in?
There are many self-employed live-in care jobs where you move into your client’s home and provide 24-hour care, 7 days a weekly basis (with breaks, naturally).
Typically, you will need to take over running the household – cooking, cleaning, laundry, and so on. You will need to be responsible and decisive. You will also need to offer a friendly smile and companionship and care for your client.
Many live-in carers find themselves becoming part of the family. You build a relationship with your client’s next-of-kin, and will probably become as much an expert on what their nephew’s son is doing in the US as your client is. It can be extremely Rewarding knowing that you are facilitating maintaining family ties. Despite their best intentions, once a person has moved into a care home many find visits become too few and far between.
The active life
Many elderly people are no longer able to care for themselves but still want to meet up with friends or pursue their hobbies. If you are able to provide the transport you can facilitate this by taking your client to meetings. You never know – you might even find a new hobby yourself!
A shoulder to cry on
Depression is common in older people. The frustration that their physical health is being taken from them by aging; guilt at the burden they are placing on their families, anxiety at what the future may hold. Many of these feelings can be alleviated by talking them over to someone – even by simply having someone to talk to. It can be extremely rewarding to feel that you have been there when your client has needed someone to make them a cup of tea and have a good chinwag.
Agency jobs
Being self-employed is not the only route to being a live-in carer. There are agencies that can place you with a family or you may find that providing respite care is a more rewarding career for you to choose. A respite carer would live-in for a short length of time – possibly even just overnight – to allow the main carer, either another professional or the client’s family, a short break. Respite carers may not build the rewarding bond of companionship a full-time carer can, but they are making a huge difference to the mental and physical health of not only their client but also of the carer they are replacing by allowing them a chance to recharge their batteries confident that the elderly person is well-cared for.
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