Benefits of Working as a Caregiver

By: Kayla Orange

Benefits of Working as a Caregiver

Most of us are familiar with the detailed and often exhausting process that is job searching. Finding a job that keeps you happy and fulfilled can be challenging, and the career you choose can have a significant impact on your quality of life. Healthcare is a fascinating field, especially if you enjoy working with people. However, you may be wondering what other options there are besides working as a nurse or doctor. Professional home care is a practical alternative for those not seeking a field in which it takes a long time to get a degree.

Typically, a home care provider or caregiver is hired when a person experiences a debilitating injury or a disability and cannot care for themselves. Also known as home health aides, the role of a caregiver is often dependent upon their patient’s individual needs. Because of this, caregivers enjoy the advantages of having a flexible career and the opportunity to build essential skills while helping those in need.

If you’re a compassionate, caring professional hoping to find out more about the home care industry, keep reading as we take you through the top benefits of working as a caregiver.

Finding a Purpose

Unfortunately, even the most lucrative jobs can sometimes feel unrewarding. Finding a purpose in life is something that we all struggle with, especially when it comes to our careers. Professional home care is an excellent field for anyone who wants to help others and care for people in need. More specifically, if you would prefer to provide one-on-one, comprehensive care for a smaller group of individuals, working as a caregiver may be ideal.

Flexibility

Home health aides are hired for a variety of patients, all with different needs and different healthcare goals. As a result, a caregiver’s schedule is often very flexible, with several options for ‘work hours’ outside of the standard 9am to 5pm. Depending on the patient, home care companions may provide full-time support or part-time assistance, giving them even more flexibility to create a schedule that fits their needs.

Relationships

For some healthcare professionals, a significant drawback of their career is the inability to spend more time with their patients. In contrast to most doctors’ or nurses’ schedules, caregivers’ assignments are typically long-term, allowing them to actually get to know their patients and ultimately provide more comprehensive care. Building and nurturing meaningful patient relationships is a huge part of a caregiver’s job and one of the major benefits of their line of work.

Skill Building

Unsurprisingly, home health aides usually see an improvement in their general healthcare skills after just a few weeks of work. However, they also build other essential skills that often mean the difference between good patient care and great patient care. Some of their most important, yet often overlooked, skills include patience, compassion, attentiveness, dependability, and trustworthiness. At Royal Care, our HHAs also undergo technology training to keep up with increasing popularity of Telehealth and keep patients healthy and happy in the comfort of their own homes.

How to Become a Home Health Aide

The first step to becoming a home health aide (HHA) is to complete a training program and become certified. Training programs vary based on location. However, the industry standard for certification programs is 120 hours of classroom training and 40 to 60 hours of clinical work. Once you’ve completed a program, you can begin providing professional home care.

If you are already a certified HHA and are searching for a new position, apply to be a caregiver today! Royal Care is one of the largest and most prestigious home care providers in the New York metropolitan area. Visit our job page for a list of current openings.