When it comes to finding a carer for someone close to you, you want to get it right. If you’re on the hunt for a high-quality carer to support the optimum independence of your loved one at home, take a look at our top ten attributes.
It’s a challenging job looking after the elderly, as you’ll likely know if your loved one is getting older. It can be one of the most fulfilling careers out there, but to be successful, certain personal qualities are required. These are essential characteristics we look for in our carers, and we believe you should too.
Respectful
As a person ages and their independence and mental capacities reduce, it’s easy to fall into the trap of being patronising. Even if an elderly person is becoming frail or senile, it’s important to remember that they are a person with a lot of experience, and a person who was once able to stand on their own two feet. A great carer will be able to connect with your loved one as a person, not just as a client who needs care.
Empathetic
Empathy is one of the most important qualities any carer needs to have. Ageing can be a confusing and difficult process for some older people. Tasks they used to find simple can become tricky. A carer needs to be able to connect with their client to help them through it, and a great carer will understand the emotions an elderly person may struggle with as they face new realities.
Reliable
Many carers will be responsible for ensuring their client eats, drinks, takes medication and makes appointments on time. The side effects of not doing these things can be dramatic. That’s why finding a carer you can depend upon to ensure everything that should be done, is done, is essential.
Patient
Elderly people are dealing with a changing landscape. Unfortunately, this often means that molehills really can become mountains. Seemingly simple tasks can take much longer to complete, frustration, irritability or aggression on the part of your loved can become normal, and memory lapses can be frequent. A great carer needs to be patient enough to handle each situation that arises calmly without getting flustered or frustrated. Patience is critical.
Sunny
Any good carer is the sort of person who lights up a room when they walk into it. Many older people suffer with depression or low moods, and a carer should be someone who provides a lift, not a dampener. Depending on their state of mental and physical health, some older people can be uncooperative when it comes to eating, drinking or bathing. A carer with a sunny disposition will be able to encourage cooperation and soothe their client.
Practical
Carers will often find themselves helping with personal care activities such as bathing, using the toilet or wound dressing. In other words, people with a sensitive constitution should not apply. A great carer should be able to handle the sight of bodily fluids and bodily functions with ease, without ever making the person they’re caring for feel ashamed or embarrassed.
Observant
The physical or mental health of an older person can change dramatically in a short space of time. A good carer will pick up on the signs of deterioration early. Decreased appetite, weight loss or gain, increasing confusion, increased irritability – these things can indicate an underlying problem. A great carer will have a hawk eye on this type of detail.
Caring
It might sound painfully obvious, but a great carer has to actually care. Care can be as difficult as it is rewarding, and if a carer sees it as ‘just a job’ they’ll struggle to provide exceptional care. You want to find a carer who genuinely cares and loves what they do.
Experienced
Most people who have built a career as a carer will have the personal qualities listed above – it would be rare to be attracted to the career without being a certain type of person. However, as well as personality, you also need to make sure the carer you find has the experience you need. We look for a minimum of two years’s experience
Qualified
There are care courses and qualifications that we look for in our carers, including a SCQF (SVQ) / NVQ in Health and Social Care for adults. With our carers and senior carers we’re looking for different levels of attainment of these qualifications.
We’re always looking to expand our team of carers and senior carers. If you’re an experienced carer with these attributes and qualifications, we’d love to hear from you. Please visit: www.nurse-call.co.uk/staff-recruitment/#apply
