A career in care is one of the most rewarding jobs you can do, for many reasons. Not only will you make a huge difference to people’s lives daily, but you will also gain a huge sense of accomplishment knowing your hard work and effort are helping others. To work in a care home, there is a magnitude of soft and hard skills you’ll need to possess, such as those below.
Patience
There is a wide range of care home facilities in the United States, including independent living, family-type homes, and assisted living. Some residents may have dementia, which impacts cognitive function, meaning it’s vital you have patience when communicating and caring for them. When it comes to handling residents, you must take your time and use proper safe person moving techniques, otherwise, you and the resident can suffer injuries.
Excellent Communication
A huge part of working in a care home is communicating with residents. Whatever their needs are, it’s your job to listen to what the residents say and do everything you can to provide support, guidance, and care. Effective communication builds trust between you and the resident. You must also be able to communicate with other members of staff to ensure residents are receiving the best care possible.
Empathy
Another essential skill care home staff need is empathy for residents. Each person you look after will have different needs and requirements, so you must have compassion for their situation and be able to put yourself in your residents’ shoes. The aging process happens to us all, so while some residents will take it in their stride, others may have difficulty along the way. This means you need to be empathetic and be by your residents’ side to help them through it.
Passion
Those who have a caring personality are naturally drawn to care home roles. If you care about others and want to do your bit to help, it makes sense to look at a career in care. Having passion and drive is key when caring for others. If you aren’t passionate about your work or you don’t take pride in what you do, this could hinder the quality of care you deliver. In a nutshell, you must have the natural inclination to put residents’ needs above your own.
Organizational Skills
Like with most careers, organizational skills are a must, especially in a care home. Your residents’ lives are literally in your hands, so you will need to be responsible and in control at all times. There are all kinds of duties you may be expected to perform in a care home, such as making food, performing household chores, and giving out medication. This means you need to have excellent time management skills to use your time productively and ensure everything is completed in order.
Working in a care home will come with its daily challenges. However, as long as you have all the soft and hard skills listed above, you will be able to carry out your duties correctly and ensure your residents are well taken care of.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.
