Qualities of a good carer

Every person is unique therefore providing a bespoke level of care that incorporates well into a patient’s lifestyle is paramount. With this goal in mind, we have created some of the essential aspects and characteristics and qualities of what is required to be a successful and effective carer:

Practical work approach

Being a professional carer takes time and effort, and you sometimes may be put into unexpected situations. Effectively handling and keeping track of a variety of different duties and personal activities can go a long way and induce a major improvement in the loved one’s well-being.

Genuinely Caring

While sounding obvious, being genuinely caring is vital. You can’t view being a carer as “just a job”, as a person’s well-being is dependant on you. It may not always be easy to constantly care, but it can be enormously rewarding. Being a carer, you need to wholeheartedly love it, you have to enjoy the work and bring positive energy every day for both yourself and your patient.

Incredibly Empathetic

Requiring assistance isn’t easy for everyone, and a lot of people can feel incredibly vulnerable about losing their independence. Some may see it as embarrassing and even undignified when of course this isn’t true. It’s imperative that you are understanding of their condition(s) and feelings and can empathise well to demonstrate that you are there for them. It’s also important to remember that not everyone will be completely open and trusting with you from the get-go, so building a trusting relationship is a must.

Conveniently Close by

While this isn’t essential, it’s worth considering in case of anything short notice or possible emergencies, it’s a pro, to have a carer relatively nearby. Depending on the individual’s situation and lifestyle, the need to be “on-call” and ready to help can vary by a fairly large margin. Therefore, especially in London, being a carer who isn’t based too far from you is a huge perk for both of you.

Accommodating and patient

Imagine things from the point of a loved one that has just set up homecare for themselves; On the first day, a brand new person (who you may have only met a couple of times beforehand) is now in your house, in charge of your welfare and has easy access to all of your possessions. Scary thought, right? That’s why Cavendish Homecare has an extensive recruiting process, to ensure that you are the right carer for the job and that the Senior is genuinely happy and content when you’re around. It makes such a big difference by being hospitable and respectful. If they’re unable to relax around you in their own home, then it isn’t a sustainable relationship. For a senior, tasks that used to be relatively simple can become frustrating and near impossible over time, so patience is a virtue here.

Support and Advice

There are many support resources available that can give you advice and online courses if you would like to pursue a career in being a carer. Carers Trust is a charity to helps provide advice, support and online courses to help carers develop further.

How can Cavendish Homecare help

Becoming a carer is can be the most rewarding career choice. To be the person to help those that need support is truly challenging but at the same time can be the best feeling ever. The concept of a good carer can be a lot of different things to different people. At Cavendish Homecare, we believe that being a carer is about the having right mindset, as well as having the sheer dedication, compassion and empathy that is required to care for those in need.

For more information on how Cavendish Homecare can fulfil your caring needs or your job opportunities, feel free to contact us at any time to discuss our services.