Caregiver (care specialist): what is this profession, features, responsibilities

Often, a seriously ill or elderly person needs care around the clock. Relatives can not always provide such care. Not all medical institutions provide round-the-clock full-fledged care for patients. Therefore, relatives often hire a caregiver or care assistant. Let's consider what is included in the duties of a caregiver, the peculiarities of this profession.

The main duties of a caregiver

The care specialist has such duties:

• He monitors the state of health of the ward and his environment. The caregiver periodically measures the elderly or sick person's blood pressure, respiratory rate, saturation, pulse and body temperature. When his or her health deteriorates, she urgently calls a doctor or an ambulance and informs the next of kin.
• The caregiver takes care of the ward's hygiene. Care for a sick person is different, depending on his condition, age and other features. Usually, the caregiver gives the person a bath, changes diapers, helps brush teeth, comb hair, cut nails, and bathes the person.
• The caregiver keeps the room or the whole house clean. She does wet cleaning and regularly airs the room.
• The caregiver helps the person to follow the doctor's prescription, makes sure that he or she follows the daily regimen and takes the prescribed medication on time.
• The caregiver accompanies the sick person on trips to the doctor, during walks.

In addition to these basic duties, the caregiver can also do other work as agreed. She buys and cooks food, washes and irons linen, looks after pets.

Features of the profession of a nurse

To take care of an elderly or sick person is not everyone. A suitable person for this purpose must have several characteristics:

• If there is to be care for a seriously ill person, the presence of medical education is necessary. Then the caregiver will be able to recognize alarming symptoms in time, call a doctor. In any case, it is important for the caregiver to know how to provide first aid.
• A caregiver who cares for a sick person knows how to give injections, put an IV, knows how to prevent bedsores or reduce them.
• A caregiver understands how to properly use the medications and products prescribed to the person being cared for.
• The caregiver needs to be physically sturdy because caring for a sick person involves exertion. When changing a diaper, it is necessary to lift the person. It will take strength to get the person to a bathing place.

To work as a caregiver, a person with certain qualities of personality is suitable. This is patience, the ability to control yourself and restrain emotions, friendliness, tactfulness and sensitivity. The caregiver should have a positive attitude. She will raise the ward's mood in time, smooth out an awkward situation.

Depending on the circumstances, a caregiver can come at certain hours of the day, stay with the ward at night or live in the same house with him around the clock. The state of health of the person in need of care largely determines what will be included in the duties of the caregiver.