Review: Entry Level Employment in Caregiving and Caregiving Skills Lists
If you need entry level work and are having difficulty finding any employer who is willing to take a chance on you, consider the field of caregiving and look for an agency that will train those without experience.
Caregiving is an up and coming alternative to institutional care. It allows elderly and disabled to remain in their own homes while receiving personal care.
Some agencies will hire you if you don’t have previous experience, as the best experience is obtained on the job. Once you have experience, it opens up many other possibilities for working with agencies requiring experience, and also possibly with assisted living facilities.
A mandatory Fundamentals of Caregiving class is offered between the 90th and 120th day of your employment, and the agency usually will pay you your regular wage to take the class and receive your certificate. There is also yearly continuing education for which you are paid your regular wage to attend.
I entered this field with no experience and had to learn many of the skills. If you have these skills already it will be easier for you. I have been with my agency for two years now.
MANDATORY CAREGIVING SKILLS
*You are honest and ethical
*You are punctual
*You keep things confidential
*You are dependable
*You have vehicle insurance (you are only authorized to transport clients and get paid for mileage if you are insured)
*You operate in ways that maintain a client’s dignity
*You encourage the client to make their own choices
*You are willing to work on weekends and at odd times
*You are willing to substitute, and especially when the office is in a pinch and cannot find someone else
*You have impressed the office that you are a good caregiver
*When the yearly continuing education requirement comes along, take Nurse Delegation so that you can have an edge over caregivers who do not have this certificate.
CHALLENGES IN CAREGIVING
*Remembering everyone’s preferences: people are set in their ways and you must do things their way
*Being an audio learner is important. If you are not, then you need to take notes.
*Your health can affect your effectiveness at work.
*It can be highly emotionally and physically demanding and lead to burnout.
REWARDS IN CAREGIVING
The rewards I have in caregiving is that if one client doesn’t work out for some reason or another, on either end – their end or mine – I can get another client, and it is not the end of my job and income.
If you are comfortable enough with caregiving and the skills it requires of you, you can even substitute for other caregivers who call in sick or go on vacation, when there are times you need more money or are making changes in your client load.
As long as you prove your worth to the agency you are working with, then you can keep having them place you in positions. You can have several streams of income, one from each client you work with, and also one from each client you drive anywhere and receive mileage compensation on. Another reward is being part of a union and receiving periodic raises.
One good reward is being able to get dental and medical care for less than full time hours. The flexible schedules can be challenging to deal with, but they can also be a plus.
One great reward is that it pays better than retail work, and at times can be less demanding than retail was.
Some people just need someone to listen to them. Some people really have no one in their life besides their doctors. What you may end up being is the most important person in someone’s life. You may have interesting conversations at work.
WHY CAREGIVING IS A POPULAR JOB
Caregiving saves the state money because institutional facilities cost a great deal more than it costs to hire caregivers who work in-home. Search your favorite search engine and your local newspapers for caregiving agencies in your area if this article makes you interested in caregiving.
