If you’re considering a new career as a carer, we’re sure that you have lots of questions! Becoming a care worker is a rewarding and fulfilling career but like any occupation, it has its challenges.
You may be wondering what to expect in the day-to-day role of a carer. For those looking for guidance and advice, we’ve laid out our experiences here so that you know exactly what to expect as a new carer.
What are the Responsibilities of a Carer?
A carer provides compassionate care and support to vulnerable people from all walks of life. This could include older people, people living with a disability or people that have an ongoing or chronic health condition.
Every carer’s job description is different and your responsibilities will depend on the specific job you do. At Prestige Nursing & Care, we support our clients with many different needs including:
- Helping with daily life – shopping, running errands, cooking and meal planning
- Light housekeeping – washing dishes, making beds or dusting
- Safe and wellness checks – having a cup of tea and a chat
- Personal care – assisting with washing, personal hygiene, dressing and grooming
- Supporting social activities – visiting friends and family or facilitating trips to the local community
- Working alongside other professionals – this could include local Social Services and Community Health Teams that provide health-related support
The Day-to-Day Life of an In-Home Carer
As an in-home carer, you will visit clients directly in their homes to provide them with the assistance they need to live a fulfilling and independent life. Your day-to-day responsibilities will depend on the client you are caring for and their immediate or specific needs. You may end up visiting a client once a week or dropping by daily to offer regular support.
For example, you may visit a client every day to assist with maintaining their appearance and personal care routines just as they like them. Other clients may require you to pop by for occasional visits simply to share a cup of tea and provide a friendly face and companionship.
What is important to remember is that person-centred care is all about providing individualised support that allows people to stay independent for as long as possible. This means encouraging clients to do as much as they can for themselves and only providing support when it is needed and wanted.
Here you can learn more about a day in the life of a carer with Prestige Nursing & Care.
What is Expected from a Carer?
While there are no formal requirements to become a carer, the best carers all share specific skills and attributes that make them exceptional carers. Here are a few of the characteristics we feel are necessary to succeed in a carer role:
Communication Skills
Treating clients with dignity and respect is of the utmost importance in care work. If clients feel ignored or misunderstood, it can lead to a poor experience with home care and even affect their health and well-being.
For clients to feel respected and heard, a good carer must always listen to their wishes and preferences. Carers are never there to ‘take over but rather work with their clients to meet their needs in a way that is comfortable for them and enhances their life
Flexibility
As a carer, you may be responsible for many aspects of your client’s daily life. Care work can be unpredictable at times and new daily tasks can arise at a moment’s notice. This requires a certain flexibility to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
However, this flexibility also comes with freedom and autonomy in your work. The flexibility of care work allows many professional carers to find a working schedule that fits in with their other commitments.
Hands-on
Care work is a hands-on job! The nature of care means that things could change quickly, especially if your client is living with certain health conditions. The best carers are proactive people that are willing to throw themselves at whatever task presents itself. For this reason, the ability to be hands-on and think on your feet is one of the most important traits a carer can have.
Hygienic
When working with older or vulnerable people keeping a clean and safe environment is a must. Carers can enhance the health and well-being of their clients by maintaining high standards of cleanliness and hygiene. This could include frequently washing your hands, keeping bathroom and kitchen areas tidy and keeping an eye out for any health hazards.
Respectful
When working as a carer, it is expected that you will treat your client with respect. During your working day, you may be expected to help clients with sensitive tasks such as assisting with toileting or bathing. This requires that you provide support in a way that is professional, sensitive and compassionate so that you and your client can build a relationship built on mutual respect and trust.
What to Wear as a Carer
There is no universal uniform for care workers. Depending on the preferences of your employer or client, carers often wear either scrubs, a uniform or everyday clothing.
Here at Prestige Nursing & Care, we ask that our professional carers wear comfortable clothing that is smart casual. This helps portray a sense of professionalism and many of our clients appreciate that our carers look like a friend or family member coming for a visit, rather than a professional care service.
Here are some tips on choosing practical clothing that is suited for care work:
- Wear comfortable and close-toed footwear – as a carer, you will likely spend many hours on your feet so comfortable shoes are a must. Shoes should always be closed-toe and sturdy to protect your feet from any hazards.
- Avoid jewellery – long or dangly jewellery should be avoided. You could be injured if such jewellery gets pulled or caught on something. For the same reasons, long hair should be pulled back and secured.
- Choose practical yet professional clothing – smart casual clothing can help build trust with clients and their families. Strive to maintain a professional appearance by choosing clothing that is clean, ironed and well-maintained.
- Easily washable – Care work can get messy, so it is important to choose clothing that is stain resistant and can be washed at a high temperature. This also helps prevent the spread of harmful germs or bacteria which can compromise the health of your clients.
Does a Carer Need Experience or Qualifications?
No formal qualifications or experience are needed to become a carer, although you must have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform your role. Many care providers will offer new starters all the training needed to succeed in their new role.
If a care provider is regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) they will likely require carers to have a Care Certificate. The CQC requires employers to prove that the carers they employ are meeting the necessary professional standards. The Care Certificate ensures that carers have the skills and knowledge needed to provide quality care.
At Prestige Nursing & Care, we ideally look for individuals with at least six months of professional care experience. We only have a limited number of care vacancies for people with no prior experience, but we’d love to talk to you if you’re interested in becoming a carer for the first time.
We are especially proud of the comprehensive and hands-on support and training we provide. Currently, we offer training to obtain the Care Certificate, Adult Care Worker Apprenticeship Standard (Level 2) and Lead Adult Care Worker Apprenticeship Standard (Level 3).
Start a Rewarding Career with Prestige Nursing & Care
Does a career in home care sound like something for you? At Prestige Nursing & Care, we are always looking for caring and compassionate people to join our exceptional team.
We have a wide range of professional carer and registered nursing roles for experienced care professionals who are dedicated to providing bespoke and person-centred care.
On the job, no two days will be the same. You’ll receive competitive hourly rates and flexible working hours all while enjoying the satisfaction of knowing you are making a positive impact in the lives of those we support.
Visit our jobs page to learn more about the competitive benefits of working with Prestige Nursing & Care or view our available job vacancies.
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APPLYING FOR A CARER JOB WITH US
Ready to start a new career with Prestige Nursing & Care? Whatever your skills or experience, applying for Prestige Nursing & Care jobs is simple. 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.
