If you’re not getting much satisfaction from your current job role and you’re interested in working in a more rewarding position, it is fair to say that the healthcare industry is one of the best to explore. There are so many advantages to becoming a healthcare assistant and working in social care will enable you to directly impact the lives of others, which is undeniably rewarding.
Unfortunately, there are some misconceptions surrounding healthcare that can be off-putting to those who are considering a career as a home carer and this is a real shame because for many, being a healthcare assistant is one of the best jobs they’ve ever had. So, to set the record straight, below we have debunked some of the most frequently heard misconceptions about working in social care as a home carer.
“Healthcare assistants only work with elderly people”
It is a huge misconception that healthcare assistants only work with elderly people, especially when they provide home care services to the community. The vast majority of home care agencies actually provide services to elderly, convalescing and disabled clients, and their healthcare assistants will work with people from all walks of life.
“You need to have care experience to be a healthcare assistant”
Many simply assume that you need to have experience in order to work for a home care agency, but this isn’t actually the case. More often than not, healthcare assistants will be provided with a fully comprehensive training program. It isn’t uncommon for new carers to shadow an experienced carer for a couple of weeks to enhance their confidence too.
“Healthcare assistants don’t get paid very well”
Whilst this might be the case for some healthcare assistants, it definitely isn’t for all of them. Your pay will be dependent on the home care agency you work for and ideally, you should find an agency that is willing to pay higher than the National Living Wage. Lots of agencies will offer additional benefits to their healthcare assistants too, so be sure to look into these.
“You will carry out lots of mundane tasks as a healthcare assistant”
The various home care services that you provide will be inclusive of different tasks and even though some of them might be boring, such as cleaning and preparing meals, others will be more exciting. For example, when providing companionship care, it is likely that you will get to take clients out into the community and visit shops or garden centres together.
“Healthcare assistants have to work really long hours”
Just because the majority of home care agencies provide services around the clock, doesn’t mean that you will have to work unreasonable hours. Generally speaking, agencies have morning/day shifts and evening shifts, both of which are usually six to ten hours long, and they will try and design a working schedule that accommodates your needs.
“You will have to work all weekends when you’re a healthcare assistant”
Again, whilst most home care agencies do offer services seven days a week, this doesn’t mean that you will be required to work both days at the weekend every week. It is common for agencies to ask their healthcare assistants to be available to work alternate weekends and this is considered to be the fairest way to ensure clients still receive quality services at the weekend.
“Healthcare assistants tend to be really lonely”
Due to the fact that lots of healthcare assistants work independently, it is often assumed that it is a lonely job, but it most certainly isn’t. When you’re working in the community, you will always be interacting with clients and being a sociable person is often key when you’re a carer. What’s more, there are always other members of staff on-call should you ever need them.
Becoming a healthcare assistant in Urmston
All in all, it is fair to say that being a healthcare assistant is incredibly rewarding and it is definitely a job that is worthwhile considering if you’re unhappy in your current position. Hopefully, now that you know the truth about some of the most common misconceptions surrounding social care, you won’t let them put you off applying for the home carer jobs that you see advertised in your local area.
If you’re interested in becoming a healthcare assistant in Urmston, or the surrounding areas, be sure to visit the ‘careers’ section of the Beloved Homecare website. We are always looking for new caring and compassionate people to join our already fantastic team of healthcare assistants. As a family-run business, we look after our team and we see our carers as individuals, not just a number, resulting in us having a low carer turnover rate. We are incredibly proud to be the only company in the local area to be rated ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC too and we are the perfect people to help you transition into a new role within the healthcare industry.