Could "Caregiver" be the Perfect Job for You?

Working as a caregiver is flexible, skill-building and rewarding. It’s a job that appeals to professionals at various stages in their careers. Whether you’re retired and looking for an engaging and fulfilling role to punctuate your career, or if you’re a college student eager to fortify your experience and skills, working as a caregiver may be your ideal fit.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics explains that the outlook for caregiving roles is excellent. The BLS notes: “Overall employment of home health aides and personal care aides is projected to grow 36 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. As the baby-boom generation ages and the elderly population grows, the demand for the services of home health aides and personal care aides will continue to increase.”

Working as a caregiver enables professionals to learn the nuances of a growing and thriving industry. If you’re contemplating a role as a caregiver, here’s what you need to know.

A Caregiver’s Mindset

Have people told you that you’re empathetic? Are you a good listener? Are you patient and attentive? There are some people who feel uneasy around those who are elderly or infirmed, others are activated when they realize they are in the company of someone who requires their care and attention. Those in the latter category are exactly the professionals that Visiting Angels of Knoxville is eager to hire to administer care to our clients.

Caring for seniors and clients with disabilities is engaging and affirming work, if you have the awareness, sensitivity and skills that the work requires.

The team at Visiting Angels of Knoxville appreciates the value of home. We understand that for some clients, it’s simply the best fit. We support their ambition to thrive where they’re most comfortable, and we hire caregivers who know how to help make their arrangement a healthy and happy.

A Caregiver’s Role

Visiting Angels Caregivers provide services such as:

• Assisting with grooming, dressing and personal hygiene
• Providing walking assistance
• Keeping the environment safe and sanitary by providing light cleaning services
• Running errands
• Preparing meals
• Offering medication reminders
• Providing transportation support

Caregivers also visit their clients. They spend time with them, sharing joyful companionship. This has two benefits - it provides clients with a delightful visit and it gives caregivers the chance to get a deep sense of how their clients are really doing. Social visits build trust and foster communication, which contribute to clients’ health and wellness.

One of the most important qualifications for the role is that caregivers need to have a sincere affection for the job and a heart for caring for seniors. This is a natural quality, a dimension of a caregiver’s personality.

If you truly enjoy spending time caring for others, then you will love this work. Being a Visiting Angels caregiver is a job that will engage your heart and your mind. You will work hard and feel proud at the end of the day, because every single day you will make a big difference in someone’s life.

Qualifications of a Caregiver

To do this job, you need a valid driver’s license and you need to pass a background check. We always appreciate caregivers who have experience. Visiting Angels is proud to offer our caregivers additional trainings so that they can upskill and learn how to care for clients with special needs including dementia and Alzheimer’s care.

We also need our caregivers to be reliable, so that your clients know that they can count on our caregivers to be there when they need us. A positive attitude and a good sense of humor will also help Visiting Angels Caregivers succeed in their roles.

Our caregivers report that some of their favorite things about their work is the flexible schedules and the clients they meet. We hate to brag, but our clients are truly the best! Our caregivers are top notch as well.

If this role sounds like the right fit for you, please get in touch.