Professional caregivers are a special bunch. The best caregivers are a combination of social, compassionate, capable, and fun men and women. It’s also a job that is among the most essential there is, providing a much-needed service that allows aging seniors to live independently with a greater quality of life. If you’re considering a career as a professional caregiver, you may wonder if you have what it takes.
What We Look For In Candidates
- People who appreciate working with the older generation as a supportive, caring, and compassionate professional for social engagement, personal needs assistance, and other tailored tasks designed to enhance their health and quality of life
- Some caregivers run errands, attend doctor appointments, pick up prescriptions and may help with meal preparation and, or light housekeeping tasks
- Good communicators who can juggle different demands, keep family members informed, are patient and positive when their client may be having a difficult day
- Friendly candidates who like to form personal relationships with the people they work for, and feel rewarded when they provide compassionate care to others
- Flexible workers who want independence and can motivate themselves to get the job done right
- People who don’t want a desk job, but prefer instead to be on the go and spend time fulfilling another person’s needs
One challenge many caregiving candidates worry about is what they will do if problems arise while they’re on the job, working independently of a supervisor who could step in.
“We are upfront about any care challenges with our clients. We have had clients with 12 cats, clients with challenging family members, clients who are still coming to terms with their aging,” explained Elizabeth Herrington, Angel Companions Vice President, and General Manager. “If we are aware, we let the caregivers know in advance because we know it helps them mentally prepare to have a heads up before going into the client’s home instead of being surprised.”
Once Angel Companions caregivers are with their clients, they find that problems can often be addressed easily. “We work hard to handle any issues between the client, the family, and the caregiver immediately. Caregivers can call us about any situation and we will help them resolve it,” she said.
“Many times, we handle the situation for them. Part of our job is being experts in resolving the different issues that can come up. Often, we can discretely address the issue without the client even being aware, so there is no awkwardness or consequences for the caregiver.”
Professional Caregiver Benefits
An involved, helpful employer is among the many benefits of working for a high-quality companion care provider like Angel Companions. Other benefits include:
- Learning on the Job – Caregivers come to us at Angel Companions with diverse backgrounds and experience, and many learn new skills on the job without investing months or years in career education.
- Flexibility – We hire part-time, full-time, day, night, and weekend caregivers. We also hire both companion caregivers, who provide “hands-off” care, and personal caregivers, who provide hands-on care.
- Valued Effort – Caregivers feel rewarded and appreciated as vital links between seniors and their families, performing important tasks that aging adults could not live independently without.
- Companionship – Forming a friendship or bond with the senior you care for is rewarding for both of you.
- Sought-After Work – This is a great time to start an in-demand career while there are many open positions in the industry and that is only expected to continue.
- Community – As a caregiver, you make it possible for the person in your care to visit friends, attend church and other events, and stay active outside the home.
We offer competitive compensation and flexible scheduling for qualified candidates. If you think professional caregiving could be the right next step in your career, complete an online application today to explore why working for locally-owned and operated Angel Companions is the best fit for compassionate, capable caregivers.