Care work is immensely rewarding as it allows you to make a positive impact in the lives of those you care for, but it can also present unique challenges at times. More so than other industries, care work requires a certain type of person with skills like patience and time management in order to be successful and provide the best possible care.
If you are considering a career in care work, these are some of the skills required to be a carer. After 75 years of providing outstanding care to our clients, we have a good understanding of what a high standard of care looks like and how to provide it. These are the very same qualities and skills we look for when hiring our own expert carers.
THE SKILLS NEEDED TO BE A CARER
- Empathy and Compassion
When it comes to care work, few qualities are as important as being empathetic and compassionate. If you have a genuine concern for the well-being of others and a desire to make a positive impact in someone’s life, then a career in care may be the ideal job path for you.
As a carer, you will be required to look after vulnerable people and support them through sensitive personal tasks such as bathing or wound dressing. If you are caring and conscientious by nature, you may find providing compassionate care with dignity comes naturally to you.
- Great communication skills
Carers must have excellent verbal and written communication skills. As a carer, you will regularly interact with people from all walks of life and with varied health conditions, some of whom may have challenges communicating or expressing their needs and wants. A good carer knows how to communicate with their clients and respect their wishes and preferences.
As a carer, you’ll also need to interact with family members, doctors, nurses, or other medical professionals in order to ensure a high standard of care is being met. The ability to listen carefully and convey instructions about your client’s care are essential skills every carer must have.
- Interpersonal skills
Working as a carer is a very social job, and the best carers enjoy social interaction and are friendly and approachable. Some older adults or people with specialist conditions may experience periods of loneliness or depression, and a friendly and cheerful attitude can go a long way to making your clients feel happy and safe.
- Observant
The best carers are highly observant people that constantly monitor the well-being of their clients. The people you care for may not always be able to adequately express what they’re feeling and the physical and mental well-being of older adults can change suddenly.
Early intervention can minimise health problems and potentially even save someone’s life, so carers must be observant at all times in order to quickly spot the signs that something is amiss. - Patience
Care work requires working at the client’s own pace, so patience is a must. A good carer encourages their client to remain independent and complete tasks on their own, even if it would be faster for the carer to complete the task themselves.
When working with clients living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, a carer may encounter challenging behaviours such as anger, frustration or confusion. A good carer knows how to remain calm and patient in these situations and support their client as they work through these challenges.
- Reliability
It is crucial that carers are reliable and act responsibly. A carer is responsible for important day-to-day tasks for their clients such as ensuring proper nutrition and hydration, discreet and sensitive personal care and medication management. Failure to properly see to these tasks can have devastating consequences for their clients, so the best carers take this responsibility seriously.
- Organisation and Planning
The well-being and safety of a client are in the hands of their carer, so it is vital that a carer be organised and carefully plan out each day. Carers may be responsible for many aspects of a client’s day from meal planning and preparation to bringing their clients to medical appointments, and they must ensure that all these tasks are completed in a timely and effective manner.
Although a good memory can be helpful, carers can also employ several organisational methods such as using calendars and to-do lists. - Initiative
Care work often requires coming up with unique solutions to help your client meet the challenges of daily life. Whether you are showing your client an easier way of going about a daily task or helping to reorganise their furniture to prevent slips and falls, problem-solving skills and taking initiative will help you rise to the challenges of care work and improve your client’s sense of independence.
- A positive demeanour
Laughter is often the best medicine and having a positive attitude and a good sense of humour can help brighten your client’s day. There may be times when a client experiences loneliness or low moods leading them to refuse to eat, drink or bathe. If you are a bright and sunny person, you will find it easier to soothe your clients and encourage their cooperation as they work through such challenges.
- A desire to learn
When it comes to care work, there is always something new to learn. While no formal qualifications are required to be a carer, many home care providers provide training programmes and ongoing training and development that can help you grow and improve your skills as a carer.
Even the simple act of treating every day as a learning experience can help you become a better carer. As a result, nurturing a desire and eagerness to learn will help you become the best carer you can be.
WORKING AS A CARER FOR PRESTIGE NURSING & CARE
At Prestige Nursing & Care, we provide high-quality, personalised and expert home care services for every stage of life that evolve with the changing needs of those we care for.
We are always looking for compassionate and dedicated people to join our team. Everything we do is designed to support our carers so that they have the training and resources necessary to provide our clients with outstanding care. This ‘carer first’ mentality is reflected in our industry-leading, confidence-boosting training.
With over 30 locations across England and Scotland, we have a variety of job opportunities available. So, whether you have experience or you’re new to care, looking for a full-time role or something to fit around life’s other commitments, we have something to suit you.
As a Prestige Nursing & Care carer or registered nurse, you will enjoy the following benefits:
- Competitive hourly rates that are usually higher than other providers
- Flexible working– the hours you want, when you want them
- Working with a local team at a local branch
- A variety of work matched to your skills and interests
- Multiple learning opportunities through our training programs
- A competitive package with paid training
- Future growth opportunities through staged care progression
- A positive, supportive environment
APPLYING FOR A CARER JOB WITH US
Ready to start a rewarding new career with Prestige Nursing & Care? Whatever your skills or experience, applying for a role is simple. You can learn more about our carer recruitment process in our carer jobs section.
Call our friendly recruitment team on 0808 239 9716 or explore our current carer jobs to see what’s on offer at Prestige Nursing & Care.
