A Home Carer, a Carer, or a Home Support Worker is a person trained to look after someone (usually elderly) in their own home for varying lengths of time. Some people may need help for half an hour a day. However, some others may then need visits of two hours per duration. Then, others may require three one hour visits in a day.
Every situation is different and is altered as needs be.
Put your caring heart to work.
What work does a carer do?
Every client has different needs but these tasks will be common to many:
- Providing general personal care such as helping with bathing, washing hair, incontinence, and dressing. Clients also sometimes require help with moving into a correct position or getting gentle walking exercise.
- Light housekeeping. This includes changing bed linen, making beds, cleaning kitchens and bathrooms, ironing and also preparing meals.
- Reminding clients to take their medication.
- Running errands such as picking up prescriptions, returning library books, posting letters at the post office, picking up a few groceries or buying clothes. A carer will also sometimes accompany the client on these errands. Sometimes they will do them on the way to or from the client’s home.
- Bringing a client on a walk to the park or around the shops. Also spending time with them doing their favourite hobby such as crosswords or looking at old photographs.
- Providing respite care for family carers and getting to know them all well.
- Helping those with dementia on a short term or long term basis completing the duties above.
- Companionship is important too. It is important to be cheery and positive, ready for a chat and to listen to their stories.
How To Become A Home Carer
A home carer will have a professional qualification or will be completing their training with a QQI accredited training provider. Comfort Keepers subsidises the cost of this training. Many people coming into caring have often cared for a member of their family or completed volunteer work. We also have carers who wanted to become nurses or therapists but for whatever reason, it didn’t work out. They decided to turn to care at a certain stage in their live. E.g. when children start or leave school and find they love it. It really is their vocation. We also have carers who had completely different careers for much of their lives. They then decided on a change, knowing that caring was something they were interested in.
It all starts with getting in contact with us for an application form.
Firstly: To begin starting care for your loved one or find out more about Comfort Keepers, click here.
Secondly: To join our incredible award-winning team, you can apply now by clicking here or emailing your CV to recruitment@comfortkeepers.ie
Lastly:
Every person has an inner spark. It’s something age and illness cannot take away. That’s why, at Comfort Keepers, we go beyond daily care needs to nurture those unique qualities. We wish to bring about a sense of hope, connectedness, purpose, and most importantly, joy. From 1 hour of care per week to 24/7 complex care, Comfort Keepers’ clinically-led team have got your care needs covered.
