Put your caring heart to work.
What makes a good carer in today’s society? What is it about some people that means they seem better than others at caring for people? Is it down to just good training or is it a natural gift?
When many of us become parents, we can choose from a plethora of training manuals, advice books, websites, and more. We can attend mother and toddler groups to learn from other parents. We can ask our own family and friends for advice. Plus we can compare our toddler with other children. Admittedly, the advice can sometimes be unwanted and overwhelming but the fact remains that it is all readily available.
It can be a different story when a parent gets older and one day, he or she requires regular care. The requirement may be a regular provision of companionship, reminders to take medication or help with personal care. While an adult child can offer companionship, he or she may live a considerable distance away. This makes. a daily visit impossible. Some adult children are not able to provide a parent with personal care at all. It may be that the parent or child isn’t comfortable with it and may prefer to use a professional carer. In comparison with early parenthood, there isn’t the same discussion or help available in terms of caring for an elderly parent.
A professional carer will have undertaken the appropriate training courses such as manual handling so they know how to lift a person without injuring themselves or hurting their client. They will have knowledge of first aid and will have completed courses in caring for the older person. However, as any happy client will tell you, there is more to training that being a good carer.
A good carer must be kind-hearted, caring, considerate and cheerful. I think a happy, cheerful disposition is a must. We all know people who ‘darken’ a room as soon as they walk into it. Conversely, we also all know people who ‘brighten’ a room with their sunny smiles and cheerful greetings. Having a good chat with someone can be a tonic. Carers will often have a timetable of a number of clients to visit. This means they must be reliable and have good time-keeping so they can spend sufficient time with each person.
We hope you enjoyed reading our blog on what makes a good carer.
What do you consider to be the qualities necessary for what makes a good carer? We would love to hear your thoughts.
Connect with us
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.
