The first question to ask yourself before endeavoring on a career in eldercare is why do you want to work with elders? Working with the elderly can be a tough and emotional job. Yes, there are a lot of opportunities in this growing field, but if you don’t have motivation and the right skills and personality, you might be better suited for another job. It can be the most rewarding job ever for the right person!
Many of our EasyLiving caregivers are inspired by experiences caring for or spending time with family members or having an older role model early in life. You can read more in our Home Caregiver Profiles. Each month, we also feature an Inspirational Elder Caregiver‘s story.
If you think you might be interested in working with the elderly but have little experience interacting with elders, consider volunteering with older adults.
When you’ve decided you’d like to work with elders, how do you go about finding an eldercare job? What types of jobs are available working with the elderly?
There are many different jobs and settings for working with the elderly. You can work in an assisted living facility, nursing home or hospital. You could work for various non-profits or government agencies. You could work for a hospice, whether in client homes or an inpatient center. There are roles ranging from activities coordination to administrative and hand-on jobs. Each of these will have different requirements for skills and experience.
A home health job is ideal for those who prefer a flexible, independent work environment and working one-on-one with elders. It is not a good job for someone who needs a very structured role or close supervision.
The job requires compassion and creativity. You will need to be qualified as a home health aide or certified nursing assistant, though in some cases you may be able to work as an elder companion.
How can the right company help me be successful working with the elderly?
You want to make sure you are working with a reputable company, so find out a bit about them first. It is also vital that the company supports you in the work you do and puts a focus on employees.
- Does the company provide orientation?
- Does the company offer ongoing training (and do they pay you to attend)?
- Does the company have worker’s compensation insurance?
- How will you be supervised and evaluated on performance? Are there opportunities to earn bonuses or benefits for good work?
- How does the company prepare you to care for the client? What information do they provide before you start working with a client?
- Who do you go to if you’re having trouble with a client situation?
Putting Caregivers First
EasyLiving’s mission is to create a environment where we set our team members up for success empowering them to provide the best in home care service to the community. We put our team members first in our mission statement, because we truly believe they must come first.
You can read more about how we carry out our mission in this message from Alex Chamberlain, Executive Director. We provide orientation, paid training and a wide array of caregiver benefits, in addition to caregiver coaching and our one-of-a-kind iCaRewards™ program.
The Role of the Care Plan
EasyLiving’s Proprietary CarePlan was specifically designed to help our caregivers do their best when working with elder clients. The process begins with an assessment and includes a unique Life History and Routines Questionnaire, which gives you the specifics to help make the experience a success. If a client has a particular routine or likes/dislikes, we want to arm you with that information ahead of time. We can also use the information to match the right caregiver to the client and create a plan based on the client’s routine.
If you love the idea of working with the elderly in a supportive environment, check out the EasyLiving careers page!
If you are looking for the best home caregiver for your loved one in Pinellas County, contact our team today!
