When you’re wanting to work in the care industry, there are so many different job roles to consider these days. Whilst many of these roles will be fairly self-explanatory and seem quite straightforward, it isn’t uncommon for people not to know what some of them actually entail, and this can put them off applying for the role.
One particular job that almost everyone has heard of nowadays is a ‘home carer’, yet there is a lot of confusion surrounding this role and what a standard working day is like for carers who work in the community. So, to provide a useful insight into what being a home carer is like for anyone who is interested in this type of job, below we have answered some of the most frequently asked questions relating to home care roles.
What does a typical day involve for home carers?
Whilst all home care agencies differ, many provide essential care services to their clients from early in the morning until late at night and some even offer 24-hour care as well. Typically, home carers will either work a morning shift, day shift or evening shift and the length of this shift will differ depending on whether you’re a full-time or part-time carer.
As the name of the job role suggests, when you’re a home carer you will go out into the community and provide care and support to clients in their own homes. You can generally expect to visit multiple clients throughout your shift and the amount of time you spend with each of these clients can range from 30 minutes, 45 minutes and 1 hour onwards, depending on their individual needs and requirements. When you’re not with a client, you will spend your time driving to your next scheduled visits.
What are the core duties of home carers?
Throughout the working day, home carers will carry out a variety of tasks and these will differ depending on the type of care that is being provided. For example, if a client requires household and domestic care, the tasks you complete will be very different to those you would complete if a client requires personal care.
Although care services are person-centred and tailored to the individual needs of the client, there are a few core duties that home carers often do on a daily basis, and these include tasks such as;
- Assisting clients with personal hygiene and cleanliness
- Carrying out light household chores for clients
- Prompting clients to take prescribed medications and dispensing medications
- Spending time with clients and taking them out into the community
- Making food and drinks for clients
How do home carers know what care services clients need?
To make things as easy and hassle-free as possible, here at Beloved Homecare we use a digital system called PASS that is installed onto our home carers’ company phones. This system holds all client details, from their care plan to their required list of tasks, and it provides our carers with everything they need whilst they’re out in the community. So, you won’t ever have to worry about getting to a client’s house and not knowing what type of care and support they need.
What training is provided to new home carers?
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually need any previous experience or qualifications to become a home carer. Before you start working in the community, a care agency will provide you with comprehensive training, ensuring you have the skills and knowledge required to provide an outstanding level of care to your clients.
At Beloved Homecare, we invite all new home carers to partake in a three-day training induction at our office that covers all of the basics of the job role. Following this, new home carers will then complete two weeks worth of shadowing whereby they’re paired with an experienced carer. Then, once ready, new home carers will start working independently in the community.
Finding home care jobs in Altrincham
Hopefully, you will now know a little bit more about what a home carer’s job role entails. There is no denying that becoming a home carer is incredibly rewarding and if you’re not getting much satisfaction from your current job then this is a brilliant career in the care industry to consider. No two days are the same when you’re a home carer and you really will have the opportunity to make a difference in your local community.
When you’re searching for home care jobs in Altrincham, be sure to take a look at the careers section on the Beloved Homecare website. Here you can find out more about working for our care agency and the many benefits associated with doing so. As the only home care provider in Trafford to be rated ‘Outstanding’ by the CQC, you can trust that we are the best agency in the local area to turn to when you’re interested in becoming a home carer.
