Like many of us, you may be concerned about how fast-developing technologies like artificial intelligence will affect the future job market. If you’re looking for a head start on a new career that will offer guaranteed job opportunities in the future, you may want to consider a career as a caregiver.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor states that home health and personal care aide is an occupation with the most current job growth as well as the most projected job growth for the next decade. According to their projections, nearly a million yearly positions will become available in the next 10 years. That means that as a certified caregiver, you are more than likely to have career security that will not exist in other fields, such as technology or business.
Now, you may be thinking to yourself - but what if I don’t have an advanced medical degree, extensive education, or previous experience in this field? The great thing is you don’t need any of these things to start a career as a certified HCA. Far more important is that you have certain qualities that will make you successful in this position.
Here, we’ll talk about the signs you have what it takes to be a caregiver.
Communication Skills
Let’s start with the basics. To be successful as a caregiver, you must first become an effective communicator. Different people have different communication preferences, and some clients may have speech impediments or other difficulties communicating their needs.
Caregivers must be able to understand their clients’ needs to provide them with high-quality care.
This applies to clients and their family members. As a caregiver, you must ensure that communication is always open and honest to set clear and straightforward boundaries and expectations.
Patience
They say patience is a virtue, and that’s especially true for caregivers. You must be able to deal with challenges posed by clients who may have difficulty performing simple daily tasks or are experiencing agitation and frustration due to the symptoms of mental health issues, or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and dementia.
Some days may be more challenging than others, but patience is particularly useful when you have to diffuse difficult or confrontational situations.
Compassion
Along with patience, compassion is a must when it comes to the qualities required from a caregiver. Every client needs and deserves a caregiver who can empathize with their situation. Needing to be taken care of may make clients feel dependent and even helpless, so it’s critically important to provide them with person-centered care that offers dignity, respect, and companionship.
Being compassionate to a client means fostering a supportive and nurturing environment in which a client will feel more confident to express their needs.
Flexibility
Flexibility is one of the greatest advantages of being a caregiver because you get to choose how much or how little you want to work, depending on your other personal or professional obligations.
At the same time, caregivers must also remain flexible to accommodate clients' needs, which can change at a moment’s notice due to unforeseen circumstances outside of their control (for example, a slip or fall or a sudden change in one’s health). As a caregiver, you have to learn to go with the flow and quickly adjust to changes in plans or circumstances.
Positivity
Maintaining a positive attitude in the face of the daily challenges of being a caregiver can be difficult. However, focusing on the positives and finding a silver lining in every situation can make all the difference in overcoming the everyday struggles of this demanding job.
What’s more, a positive outlook can be contagious and improve not only a caregiver's daily life but also their client's quality of life. Clients may feel better about themselves and their situation thanks to their caregivers' enthusiasm.
Creativity and Resourcefulness
Being creative as a caregiver will help you devise original ideas to keep your client occupied, engaged, and entertained at all times. This could involve daily walks, trips to nature, arts and crafts, card games, movie nights, or other activities.
Creativity also goes right along with resourcefulness, which is invaluable in providing high-quality care. Caregivers must constantly research new resources and developments in home health care to find new and innovative ways to help their clients.
Trustworthiness
A caregiver spends considerable time with a client, and they will inevitably learn confidential information (both medical and personal) about the clients and their family members.
A caregiver must be discreet, respect the client's privacy, and protect confidential information. By showing trustworthiness, a caregiver can build an honest and dependable relationship that will benefit both parties in the long run.
If you recognize the above-mentioned skills in yourself, you have what it takes to be a caregiver. Your next step will be to pass a background check by the Department of Social and Health Services (DHSH) and then meet the training requirements to become a home care aide.
To do that, check out Cornerstone Healthcare Training, which offers highly affordable and 100% online training courses that the Washington State DHSH approves. You can choose between various general and specialized training courses in English and Spanish (depending on your previous education and experience) that you can complete whenever and however you prefer.
Once you complete your online training and are certified as a home care aide in Washington State, you can choose between various settings and flexible options that will allow you to truly make a positive impact in the daily lives of elderly, ill, injured, or disabled people.
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