New to Caregiving? 5 Things You Need To Know
iSavta | 02.02.2021
And just like that, you decided to pursue a career in Caregiving.
Caregiving can be rewarding and fulfilling but it is not a walk in the park. There are hundreds of important things that go with it.
Home caregiving is a life-changing career for those who are new to this industry. You are not only responsible for the physical aspect of your patient but to their whole well-being. Caregiving doesn’t start and ends with changing diapers or feeding your patient. It’s a whole lot of things.
If you are new to Caregiving, Here are the Top 5 things you need to know:
Caregiving is more than just a home care job
When you decided to come to Israel to work as a Caregiver, your only concern is how much money you’ll learn doing this job. We all did. But we came to realize that Caregiving is a vocation. It is not something that you do to just pay your bills or alleviate the life of your family back home. You cannot survive caregiving if you don’t have the heart to help people regardless of how much you earn.
Communication is the Key to Survive Caregiving
Good communication skills are not something that you can learn as a skill. Most people are born with it. If you don’t know how to communicate, you will never survive caregiving. Communication is not just an ability to speak but also the ability to listen and understand with compassion so you will know how to respond with kindness.
Caregiving is More Than Just Providing Basic Care
Your main responsibility is to provide basic care like helping your patient bathe, eat, change clothes but Caregiving is way more than that. You are responsible for your patient’s well-being in totality. You will be an errand person, an accountant, a critique, and sometimes, a best friend who will make your patient’s life easier.
Caregiver Burnout is Real
It is not easy to take care of the elderly especially if they are very dependent. Many caregivers suffer from burnout because of too much emotional stress. Another factor that affects your emotional state is the fact that you are far away from the people who are your security blanket, your family. Some Caregivers like you will find themselves tired and drained and eventually quit. That’s why it is important to protect yourself to prevent caregiver burnout as soon as you start working as one.
Caregiving is Rewarding
As long as you have the heart for it, you can find satisfaction and fulfillment in Caregiving. It will never be a walk in the park but it is definitely a profession for those who are looking for their purpose. Remember, you are not just someone who does the job because it’s your job. You do not because you care and you are happy doing it.
Read more about Caregiving 101
Caregiving 101