Home Care or Care Home? Choosing the Best Fit for You

There isn't one typical experience when it comes to working in care. The many variables mean that each role and even each day is different. Your experience is determined by the people you support, their needs and the setting. For that reason, make sure to take a good look at the job details to understand more about the role and what it entails. 

The care industry has several different working environments. Two of the most common ones that you'll see come up when looking at jobs are care homes and home care, also known as domiciliary care. While both involve supporting people with personal care and more, they have key differences. With that in mind, let's explore what's involved in home care and care home roles. 

Care Settings

Supporting people doesn't happen in just one environment. There are multiple care settings, including at the person's home, in a residential setting, respite care or at a day centre. The setting where you work can determine how many people you support, whether you support the same people consistently and who else you work with. 

Many people who need some support but can still live relatively independently choose home care. Others choose to live in a residential setting known as a care home. Often it's the right choice for them personally, but can also be dictated by their needs. If someone needs 24/7 care they might choose a care home, although there are domiciliary roles that involve day and night shifts. 

As someone seeking a role in care, you can refer to the advert or job description to understand the setting. Typically, it's mentioned in the details, but you can also look at the title. It might say care worker, and include more details of the setting in the description. However other roles are more specific and will state home care or domiciliary care worker.

Working in Home Care

When you role is to provide home care, you'll be supporting people in their own homes. The aim is to support people to live as independently as possible while maintaining their wellbeing. Duties depend on what's agreed in the care plan, but can include support with personal care, household tasks and companionship. The role also often involves helping people get out and about to appointments and supporting them to enjoy the activities and hobbies they like. 

The people who access domiciliary care vary. They could be different ages and have different needs such as learning disabilities or physical disabilities. The person's needs will determine whether you stay at night or visit in the day and how long you stay. You might visit for a few hours in the morning and support someone else in the afternoon. It means your schedule can vary, that time management is important and that travelling between locations is part of the job. Typically, home care will require you to be able to travel and with this you may need to be a driver. 

While the role of a someone providing home care is varied, it can also involve regular visits, allowing you to build on the relationships with the people you support. It does involve lone working with supervision, which means it's essential that you only take on tasks that you are confident and trained to do. You're still part of a team but sharing information could be through notes and conversations at specific times so strong communication skills are important. 

Working in a Care Home

Your role in care could involve supporting people in a care home. Duties include supporting people with personal care and companionship. Most domestic tasks might be undertaken by cleaners and housekeepers. You may also involved in engaging people in activities and scheduling medication and care from other people in the team. 

When you work in a care home, your place of employment is a fixed location. However, just like domiciliary care, your hours can vary. Most activities are done during the day, but there might be morning and evening shifts as well as staying overnight. Care homes usually support residents of similar ages and of relatively similar needs. Your work will still be varied, but there will be some regularity to it. 

In this care setting, you're likely to be part of a larger team. It's made up of care workers, managers, supervisors, activity coordinators, housekeeping staff, catering staff and more. These specific roles contribute to different aspects of the overall care meaning there's a range of opportunities available. Teamwork and communication is still crucial, as you'll be liaising with the wider health care team. 

Your Career in Care

A job in the care sector can send you on a long and rewarding career path with plenty of opportunities to progress. The care settings you choose to work in will affect your daily working life as well as the skills you develop. No matter which setting you choose, you'll be supporting people to live as well and as independently as they can.

Some key considerations when choosing between roles in home care or a care home are the variety of each day and the duties. Time management, teamwork and communication are crucial in either role, but are especially important in domiciliary care. Determining how you feel about the need for flexibility, travel and lone working could affect which setting is best for you. 

Whether you decide to work in a care home, a home care role, or other setting - you'll be met with a rewarding role. Good luck with your search!