Being a Career Home Caregiver

Being a Career Home Caregiver

Home caregiving is more than a job and if an individual doesn’t have a passion for the work then they should do something else. Home caregivers have an intimate window into some of the most vulnerable moments in our life. Most of us are resistant to help - especially when we feel exposed and vulnerable. Caregivers listen and learn what it takes to become a trusted connection in those vulnerable moments. If you’re considering home care as a career, here are some things to know before stepping in.

• Better paid caregivers are around $30-32 per hour or $60-65k annually (including shift premiums and bonuses). Lesser paid caregivers can be $22 per hour or $45k annually. Some of our caregivers are making over 100k but they are doing overtime to reach that.
• Scheduling is one of the biggest challenges. How is your time utilized - do you have enough hours, split shifts, gaps in schedule? Outside of government home care there are no guaranteed hour positions and many home care employers have very poor scheduling practices.
• Home caregivers are entering peoples lives at a vulnerable time - a time when they have to accept human help with everyday tasks they've always done for themselves - almost everyone has a degree of resistance to accepting this help and we are constantly figuring out how to approach and connect with them.
• You see people from all walks of life and lifestyle with widely varied conditions. Everyone is idiosyncratic. There are routines that become commonplace but there is always novelty with the people you come to know.
• There are many introvert caregivers working in home care because they are able to work 1-to-1 and are largely unsupervised in their day to day.
• Some clients have bowel accidents and incontinence issues, cleanup on the people aisle! No room for squeamishness.

Home caregiving is dynamic and unpredictable. Every day can feel different and sometimes it will feel overwhelming. Home Caregivers:

• May go to one location for several days in a row or travel between a dozen homes in one day.
• Sometimes work split shifts with gaps during the work day.
• Support clients with vastly different needs - frailty, dementia, mental illness, brain injuries, developmental disabilities, or end-of-life conditions - each requiring a different approach and support.
• Regularly enter and learn unfamiliar homes, routines and emotional situations.
• Problem solve when things don’t go as planned.

Home care requires adaptability, patience and the ability to respond calmly to sudden change. Caregivers who rely heavily on rigid routine or structure may find work in a facility or hospital more suitable.  Home caregiving is physically demanding. Injury rates - especially involving the back, neckand shoulders - are among the highest of all service professions. This work requires:

• Safe Patient Handling techniques
• Good use of body mechanics
• Consistent risk assessment before each transfer or movement
• Awareness of own physical limits

At some point, most home caregivers question their career choice — especially in periods of exhaustion, stress, or emotional overload. Caregivers support people during some of the most vulnerable moments of their life, often when they are faced with a physical or cognitive decline. Many clients struggle emotionally with accepting care. Some may be short-tempered, resistant, or unappreciative. Often, the clients who need the most patience are the ones who express the least gratitude. Caregivers may be admired one day and resented the next - sometimes within the same hour. Strong personal boundaries and emotional resilience are essential. Caregivers form meaningful bonds with some clients - they are trusted with stories, secrets, fears, humor and tears. Every organization has a culture - and it can make or break the employment experience. Even within the same organization, different departments or managers can create completely different experiences. A single caring scheduler or supervisor can make an enormous difference. When they leave, everything can change. Before accepting a position:

• Research local providers
• Read employee reviews
• Speak to current or former caregivers
• Ask about scheduling practices, support systemsand workload
• Smaller agencies can be more personal - but also more volatile and challenging for employment security
• Always advocate for yourself. Keep records of your communications. If you are not being heard, speak up or consider moving on.

Work scheduling is one of the primary reasons caregivers stay or leave a home care employer. Common challenges include:

• Excessive unpaid travel time
• Long gaps between clients
• Being sent to the wrong location or time
• Last-minute changes
• Being asked to work on your days off
• Unsteady income from inconsistent hours

Good scheduling is the backbone of good care. When caregivers are rushed, client care suffers. A humane, well-planned schedule gives caregivers the time, stability and energy to provide quality support. Schedulers are faced with emotionally intense, high-pressure conditions and must balance competing needs - client needs, caregiver hours, caregiver wellbeing, client safety and system limitations. A caregiving organization that doesn’t support it’s employees first doesn’t deserve your time. Home Caregiver wages and benefits vary greatly:

• Government home support workers typically receive the best wages, benefits and pension. 
• CommunityPlus is just behind the government in wages, benefits and pension.
• Many private home care employers pay sub-living wages with no benefits or pension. 
• Several private home care employers pay sub-living wages and misclassify their employees as 'Contractors' to avoid paying employment benefits and taxes.

Pro-tip: Home caregiving is deeply challenging - physically, emotionally and mentally. It can also be one of the most meaningful and rewarding roles a person can take on.