Misconceptions About Caregiving
Have you been considering a career in caregiving but heard a few rumors about that profession that make you hesitate to get started? Changing careers is nerve-racking, but caregiving is a sturdy choice that offers flexibility and growth despite some common misconceptions about caregiving.
Myth 1: You need to have a background in healthcare
There is a misconception that caregivers need to have a degree in nursing or have experience working as CNAs, but that is not the case. A background in healthcare or nursing can bring value to the role. Still, since you're not providing medical care as a caregiver, it's not necessary to start a position as a caregiver. Your primary role as a caregiver is to make clients feel safe and comfortable living independently at home. You might help with various tasks such as housekeeping, meal preparations, medication reminders, personal grooming, bathing, or transportation.
Even though you don't need a healthcare background to work as a caregiver, caregivers at Visiting Angels need to complete a training program before starting one-on-one work with clients. During this training, you'll learn how to interact with clients, perform everyday tasks, and provide quality care to clients.
Myth 2: You have to work full-time and long hours
Caregiving can be a full-time career if you want it to be, but many caregivers work a flexible part-time schedule. Some people envision caregiving as a 24-hour caretaker who tends to a client at all hours. At Visiting Angels, we work with clients who have different needs. Many of our clients don't require a 24-hour career. Instead, they enjoy a caregiver who can visit with them a few hours a week to help them with household tasks or help them run errands.
A benefit of working with a reputable home care agency such as Visiting Angels is our ability to offer flexible scheduling. When you start your career with Visiting Angels, let us know what days and hours work best with your schedule. We then schedule you with clients with a similar schedule so you do not feel like you have to rearrange your life to meet your clients' needs. We also do our best to match you with nearby clients to reduce commute time.
Myth 3: You're on your own as a caregiver
Caregiving is a position that comes with a lot of autonomy, and most of your workday is one-on-one client interactions. However, just because you are the only caregiver at a client's home providing services, you are not alone as a caregiver. Visiting Angels has a strong network of caregivers for you to interact with and get advice from on how to care for your client. You also have access to our fantastic office staff, who is always available to answer questions and provide guidance in various situations. Each caregiver also works with a care coordinator to help manage schedules and help with challenging client situations.
If you're a compassionate individual interested in learning more about starting a career as a caregiver, the team at Visiting Angels Gadsden would love to connect! Send us your online application or call us at 256-507-0083.