A career in care is rewarding and varied with many opportunities for development and progression that can sometimes be overlooked. There are also several different types of care; in this post we are focussing on elderly care specifically.
As you probably know elderly care involves supporting the needs and requirements of senior citizens. As no two people are the same this involves a wide range of services depending on the individual's requirement. A person may need rehabilitative therapies perhaps after a fall or illness, nursing care for specific medical conditions (we have a post on nursing care coming soon!) palliative care for patients who are sadly near the end of their lives or just general supervision. Elderly care can require often elements of personal care (helping someone with bathing, toileting and dressing) but not always.
Often when people think of elderly care they think of residential care homes and whilst this can be the case there are various different services including homecare and assisted living facilities.
Roles in residential care homes are very varied as each resident has different care needs. This means you will get the opportunity to learn many different skills and interact with a range of people. We speak to thousands of carers and they tell us that the best part of their job is the interaction with the residents and really getting to know individuals. They become an extension of your family.
When considering applying for a role in elderly care there are certain things to bear in mind. If you don't have direct experience of working in another elderly care setting don't let that put you off. One of the best things about care is that you can use a lot of transferrable skills and train on the job to become a brilliant carer. Think about how things you have done in the past (whether that's volunteering, previous roles or school and college experience) can be used to demonstrate the key skills.
There are 7 core qualities that make excellent carers. You can show you have excellent communication skills, that you are a great team player and that you are adaptable and resilient without previous care experience. Often interviewers are looking for you to demonstrate the STAR technique, which we will look at in a separate blog.
If you think you have what it takes to care for elderly people have a look at our job openings today!