24-hour caregivers for the elderly play an important role in the lives of their clients. They are responsible for ensuring their safet, providing them with companionship and helping them with their daily needs. However it is important to understand that they have both rights and obligations. The aim of this article is to outline and explain them.
What are the duties of a 24-hour caregiver?
Duties of a caregiver can vary considerably from patient to patient. However the goal is always the same – to ensure that the person they care for is as healthy and happy as possible. In general we can divide the obligations of the 24-hour caregiver into 4 different categories.
1. Primary care
Basic care includes helping the patient to dress and maintain personal hygiene. Of course depending on the patient’s medical condition the duties may vary. In some cases the patient may be able – partially or completely – to take care of his or her basic needs on his or her own. However other seniors may need more help. This means that duties may include tasks such as feeding showering or changing nappies.
2. Emotional support
Providing emotional support is always one of the duties of a 24-hour caregiver – regardless of the patient’s medical condition. There are two main reasons why emotional support is so important. The first is that it is proven that mental state can affect a person’s overall condition. As for the second: the happier the patient is – the easier it is to work with him. This not only makes the caregiver job easier but also improves the quality of the services provided. For inspiration on how to achieve this see here.
3. Household tasks
Household duties are a common part of the work of 24-hour care staff in the home. These usually include cooking cleaning and shopping. However there are cases where a family member shops for it. It doesn’t happen often but sometimes there is a housekeeper working in the home which means that the caregiver can devote their time exclusively to the patient.
4. Mobility and medical assistance
Unfortunately quite often seniors who are no longer independent have mobility problems. Sometimes patients need help getting up and support with walking. In other cases they may be immobile and need help with almost every kind of movement. As far as medical help is concerned no one would expect caregiver to give injections or provide professional medical assistance. This is done by certified health care professionals. Among the duties of having a 24-hour caregivers is usually included measuring blood sugar and blood pressure administering or applying medication and monitoring.
Do caregivers know about their obligations before they go to the patient?
Any reputable company should provide detailed information about the patient’s condition their illnesses and a list of job duties. We believe that every 24-hour caregiver should have detailed and objective information. These should include not only information about the patient but also details such as the type of accommodation and facilities. More about all the information we provide caregiver before starting work please see here.
What are the rights of a 24-hour caregivers?
To begin with caregivers must have everything at their disposal that an employee working in another sphere has. This includes the employment contract social security pension and other compulsory contributions. But that’s not all.
1. Adequate salary
24-hour carers are also entitled to a reasonable wage. The work they do is vital to our society and they should therefore receive a sum commensurate with their value and effort. We in Atena work hard to raise caregivers salaries and usually manage to achieve this several times a year.
2. The right to work in a safe environment
As in any other industry there can be no direct threat to the health and well being of 24-hour caregivers. Employers should respect this and act accordingly if there is a problem.
3. Not only safety but also job security
A professional company should be able to respond in case something happens. Caregivers work with seniors 24 hours a day. Their condition may worsen and the patient may go into a nursing home because they need to have a healthcare worker around all the time. This leads to the caregiver no longer having a job even though they have done nothing wrong. If something like this happens we in Atena will always provide accommodation until we find him a new job or transport home – on request. And we believe that every employer should do the same.
Is 24-hour care a good job?
To begin with the term 24-hour care work sounds misleading. You can’t work 24 hours a day and nobody does. Like everyone else seniors sleep 7 to 9 hours a day watch TV, read books or have other hobbies. This means that caregivers also have plenty of free time. The only difference is that it is not a pure 8-hour working day but the time spent working is spread throughout the day. In addition caregiving can be very satisfying. Caregivers can make a difference and give meaning to a patient’s quality of life. There are not many professions that literally change lives.
Is 24-hour care well paid?
How much you earn usually depends on how well caregiver speak the language of the country where you work as well as your knowledge and experience. However the decisive factor is always the employer. It’s easy to compare the salaries of different employers online and decide accordingly.
On the job 24-hour caregivers, the best part is that you can save 100% of your salary. As accommodation and meals are provided caregivers have no expenses except for clothes cosmetics and other essentials. In Germany for example a person pays an average of €750 per month for accommodation and €550 for food. In practice this means that caregiver earning €1,800 can save more money than the average person with a net salary of €3,000.
To find out more about working as a caregiver, visit ourwebsite. Better yet call us!
