7 Reasons Why You Should Consider Caregiving as a Career
The iSavta Team | 13.11.2019
Caregiving is not for everyone. It takes a lot of patience, empathy, and dependability to stay in this line of work. But, if you think that you possess the qualities of a good caregiver, then maybe you should consider becoming one. For the right type of person, a caregiving job is rewarding and the opportunity to land in this job is huge. Don’t let that chance slip away and consider the following reasons in making that career shift happen.
1. Physical Benefit
Surprisingly, the daily caregiving activities of bathing, dressing, lifting, bending, and moving a patient is advantageous to your body. These daily activities help you exercise and keep your body fit by building strength and stamina.
2. No need to go to an office
Not going to an office means that you will be able to wear comfortable clothes. You also need not adjust to your coworkers; deal with your managers and your clients. As a caregiver, you will only need to focus on taking good care of your patient and communicating to their families and the healthcare team. You will live in a cozy environment, provide companionship, and help with your patient’s daily activities.
3. Become a chef
Well, not a certified one but at least you get to master your favorite recipes and your patient’s favorite dishes. One of the common tasks of a caregiver is to prepare and cook meals for your patient. Whether you love to cook or you are not used to cooking, you will learn new recipes, perfecting them, and eating them with your clients while chitchatting with them.
4. Learn from real life experiences
Mostly, caregivers give assistance to an older adult who is frail to do daily activities by himself. As you get to know each other through the years, you will learn about their past experiences, their adventures, and even their silly behaviors in the past. You will also get to know about their successes in life and learn more about their interests which you may find interesting too. So get your ears ready to listen as I am sure that you will have a handful of stories to hear out with your patient.
5. You get to do your indoor hobbies
Once you get used to the daily work of a caregiver, you will have spare time to do some hobbies indoor. These hobbies vary and you may do one depending on your interest. Some caregivers involve themselves in doing arts and crafts such as cross-stitch, embroidery, and knitting. Others paint or hone their watercolor skills. For some, they use their spare time in online gaming or listening to music. Whatever interests you have that you can do indoor; no doubt you will have time for that when you work as a caregiver.
6. Travelling
For some lucky caregivers, they get to join the older adult when they travel abroad. All expense paid. What’s more, they also get to join them in attending family events. Although only a few are privilege with this type of patient, you will still get a chance to travel to the destination of your choice as you will have paid vacation annually excluding the holidays and rest days you will enjoy as a caregiver.
7. Fulfillment
As a caregiver, you will help improve the quality of lives of the patient and their loved ones. Stronger ties are developed after spending years with a patient and their families. Keeping someone healthy and assisting a patient in making the most out of their lives will form deep bonds and an emotional attachment to the patient and his family. As such, you will also be treated as family in return. Having a sense of purpose in providing meaning to one’s life is arguably the most fulfilling reward a care worker could have.
Aside from all these, you also get to save a good amount of money as a paid caregiver because you will be living rent-free and eating good food without any expense. Caregiving may not be easy at times but the rewards that you will reap and the perks that you will enjoy will make you think twice of staying in your current work and considering a new career in caregiving.
Read more about Caregiving 101
Caregiving 101