What To Expect As A Professional Caregiver

The population of individuals aged 65 and older grew nearly five times faster than the total population in the last 100 years, bringing the senior population in America to 55.8 million. While only some older adults will require at-home care, many will, meaning the job demand for caregivers will continue to grow. 

But aside from job stability, working as a professional caregiver is hard work, and it’s essential to understand the role of a skilled caregiver and what to expect before embarking on your new career path. 

The Role Of A Professional Caregiver

A professional caregiver is a trained and highly qualified individual who provides nonmedical assistance to another person. At Visiting Angels, our caregivers offer at-home assistance, primarily to local seniors. Services include light housekeeping, cooking, medication reminders, and mobility assistance.

Whatever services you provide your clients, you can expect to work hard while helping them live independently and offering companionship. 

Hard Work 

Caregiving is a rewarding career. You’re spending your days helping another human live their highest quality of life. Because of your work and assistance, clients can live safely and confidently at home. Caregiving also relieves families, knowing their loved ones have a trained professional caring for them.

With so much reward, it’s only natural that a position such as caregiving would require endless hard work. Like many career choices, caregiving comes with its emotional and mental hardships. Sometimes, you’ll have to work with clients who don’t necessarily want your help. Other times, you may be working with a senior who needs extra patience and compassion as they navigate a task. 

Autonomy 

Unlike corporate positions, where you have a supervisor or manager to report to daily, professional caregiving comes with much autonomy. When you have a shift, you must arrive at your client’s homes on time and assist with the needed services to the best of your abilities. Having job autonomy doesn’t mean there isn’t someone to help you if you need it. The Visiting Angels home office is only a call away if you have questions or concerns. We also have a wonderful and supportive team of caregivers who are happy to offer advice or mentorship in navigating challenging situations. 

Companionship

Caregivers help with basic living tasks and ensure clients' safety at home, but the soul of caregiving is about the relationship between caregivers and clients. One of the primary reasons seniors seek caregivers is for companionship. 

Nearly one-third of people 45 and older are lonely. Loneliness increases with age because of retirement, loved ones moving away, or friends passing. Some seniors also lose the ability to drive or easily leave the house, making it difficult to interact with others. With a caregiver, seniors have someone to interact with and a companion who can help them attend functions and get out of the house.

Professional Caregiving With Visiting Angels 

Visiting Angels is looking for dependable and compassionate individuals to assist seniors in the Flagstaff area. We have part-time and full-time shifts with flexible hours to fit your schedule. 

Visiting Angels is a locally owned and operated home care agency. We are dedicated to our caregivers, knowing we couldn’t provide clients with the highest quality of care without them. All employed caregivers receive paid training, competitive wages, reimbursable mileage, and bonus opportunities. We also take pride in our client/caregiver matching process, ensuring caregivers and clients have a strong foundation for building trusting relationships. 

If you’d like to learn more about working as a professional caregiver with Visiting Angels, please contact us with your questions.