HOW TO FIND THE PERFECT SUPPORT WORKER OR CARER
Ideally when people don’t have time or skills to take care of their loved ones, they would then need to employ the services and expertise of a support worker or caregiver. However, finding the perfect support worker or carer is not something that can be easily done. That’s because there are lots of compulsory details that must be looked at in order to make sure that you employ the best person to the job for your loved one.
Below is a list of all the necessary qualities that the care giver you intend to hire must have. Once you identify these characteristics then you are on the right direction.
- Empathetic
The support worker or carer should be empathetic at all times. This is one of the most important qualities that anyone providing care for the elderly or disabled must have. Ageing is a difficult and confusing process for seniors. They find it a tough challenge to overcome, as well. If you are finding a support worker to take care of your seniors, you need to make sure that they remain empathetic at all times as this will help them to be able to understand the emotions and struggles that the seniors are facing.
- Respectful
It is also important for a support worker to remain respectful at all times as well. When a person is ageing, the mental capacity and independence of that person will reduce. Due to the same reason, they can easily feel like they are being a bother or nuisance to the person caring for them. While taking care of a senior, the support workers or caregivers should understand that they are offering assistance to someone who was once physically fit and able to stand on his/her feet with strength and agility. Hence there is a need to remain respectful and courteous.
- Patience
It is a critical characteristic for a caregiver to learn the act of patience because in numerous situations this would be tested unconsciously on the job. By being patient at the situation and acting rationally, the caregiver would be able to overcome any form of aggression, irritability, and frustration. Along with patience, he should be able to handle the situation calmly as well. In fact, the caregiver or support worker should never get resentful or flustered.
- Reliability
People who receive care rely heavily on their caregivers. This is why it is so important to them that their caregivers and support workers are reliable and dependable at all times. The caregiver or support worker is responsible for making sure that the client has adequate food and fluid intake, makes appointments to the doctor on time, and takes their medication on time (if applicable). If the caregiver is not reliable, the client will miss out on these things which can cause serious detriments to their health and wellbeing.
- Professional
Support workers and caregivers often come across challenging situations. In all those challenging situations, it is expected that the caregiver should act professionally at all times, only then will they be able to provide the highest level of care and assistance needed. In this role, it involves lots of personal cares like assistance with using the toilet, wound dressing, and or pad change during menstrual cycle. These are sensitive situations and the caregiver needs to remain professional and make sure that the person who receives the care doesn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed at that moment.
- Caring
Last but not least, you must ensure that the support worker or carer is a naturally caring individual. While this might sound obvious, most people ignore it while looking for the right individual. The caregivers and support workers should not think that they are just doing a job but must understand that they will need to genuinely care for their client. By being caring, it would be reflected in everything they do even when it is clearly inconvenient.
Finally,
Most people do not have the time to properly screen people before employing them to care for their loved ones and this mostly unfortunately always cause dire consequences. That is why at My Support Champion we vet every single person to the highest standards – screening for traits, values, experience and qualifications. We do all the hard work, to make sure, that in the end; it is only a champion that is supporting your loved ones in need of care.