Getting a job as a caregiver abroad is a great way to earn money, get to know other countries and learn the language. However, if money is the only motivation, the interested party should fish in other waters.
Nursing salaries abroad start at over a thousand euros, and a nurse can earn close to two thousand euros a month. There is no extra cost for food and accommodation, so the carer takes home some really nice money after the tour. However, if the candidate lacks a feel for the profession, his enthusiasm will wear off very quickly.
Being a friend
A person who has decided to care for the elderly should first of all know what this job is all about. He should prepare himself for the fact that “his” senior will have health problems or mood swings and he will spend days with him. “That’s why a caregiver must be a person with a good relationship to the elderly, a person willing to help and take his job as a mission,” explains Michaela Šarníková from the Atena recruitment agency. “He should also be a responsible, reliable, empathetic and energetic person. It’s not just being able to change a senior’s clothes that makes them feel good, but also being able to cheer them up, understand them and be their friend,” she explains.
Understand
and understand
With the help of the Atena employment agency, 24 thousand people have already found a job as a caregiver abroad. “They are women and men from 18 to 65 years of age. Yes, it is often a challenge for older people too, because they are well qualified for the job. For example, they could look after their parents who had health problems and thus have exactly the experience that our foreign clients require,” says Michaela Šarníková.
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A foreign language is a prerequisite for this job. The caregiver should know it at least at B1 level, as he/she will be communicating with both the senior and his/her family. She is most often interested in how they spent the day together, what they experienced, how the client felt or what they ate. The caregiver also needs to get to know the pharmacy, hospital or day centre that “his” senior attends. Daily communication in a foreign language is therefore a prerequisite for this position.
Caregiving course
yes – or no?
A person who wants to work as a caregiver must also have the knowledge to do this job. However, some countries do not require a nursing course. In Germany and Austria, the candidate will find a job on the basis of positive references from previous jobs, in England he will undergo a week’s training, which he will complete with a certificate. However, in the Netherlands, where carers can earn the best money, they already require a caring course. “Our agency is often contacted by candidates who have not had experience with this work before. This is not an obstacle. If they are suited to the job personally, they will gain the necessary knowledge and experience during the course,” explains Michaela Šarníková.
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The course usually lasts two months. The interested person first learns the theory of health problems and diseases of the elderly, completes the practical part and finally practices in a facility for the elderly. There, they will teach them how to administer medication, how to move and position the client, and even how to insert a catheter, for example. “If a senior has more serious health problems, his or her family will request a nurse. She can, for example, even give him an injection, which is not required of a normal nanny,” adds Michaela Šárniková from the Atena recruitment agency.
