5 Key Qualities to Providing Your Best in Care Work

One of the most important qualities of a good care worker is, quite obviously, that they care about those they’re supporting, and can demonstrate patient empathy and understanding in their day to day assistance. Though this is undeniably important, there is in fact much more to being an excellent care worker than a well-developed sense of compassion. To meet the demands of this rewarding job, an experienced care worker will need a whole range of personal and professional characteristics.

Professionalism

At the end of the day, care work is a professional service. To be an effective care worker whose expertise is requested again and again, you’ll need to offer an exceptional standard of care that others can depend on. For so many vulnerable people, care workers are their sole source of support and social interaction. Being unreliable not only jeopardizes daily routines, but can have psychological consequences, too.

An effective care nurse takes on this responsibility gladly, and will do their best to fulfil their obligations professionally. The more care homes trust your work, the better your reputation as a care worker, the better your feedback and views, and the more work you’ll secure for yourself.

Professionalism also extends to those under your care — by committing to connect with and communicate well with your clients, you establish yourself as a provider who can enrich the lives of those you work with, regardless of their backgrounds, health status, age, language or their individual challenges.

Positive attitude

As the saying goes, it’s not what you do, it’s the way that you do it. Though you’ll carry out everyday activities like housekeeping, grooming, meal prep or dressing, your true service also comes in your positive, friendly demeanour and ability to build rapport with those who depend on you. This means cultivating a cheerful disposition around those elderly patients who may come to see your visits as a highlight of their day, or using creative problem solving with those more challenging patients. Finally, positivity also encompasses an attitude of respect. What marks a truly professional care worker is the ability to provide high-quality, attentive care to everyone, regardless of their unique needs and limitations.

Flexibility

There’s no doubt about it: care work is highly varied, from day to day. Your role could include anything from tidying the kitchen to organizing a trip to the physiotherapist to helping with their morning bath. Both your patients and those you liaise with through Carehires will appreciate your willingness to adapt with changing circumstances. With Care hires, you have control over your own schedule, but even with the best laid plans, you may be occasionally called on to adjust to a day that doesn’t look quite how you planned.

Flexibility goes beyond everyday scheduling, however, and includes the commitment to learning and improving over time — even if you’ve been a carer for years. An experienced support worker will be observant, noticing and responding to changes in those they care for, and seamlessly working around unexpected limitations.

Practicality

It can be the little things that really distinguish a brilliant care worker from a less experienced one. The skilful management of necessary tasks, careful time-keeping, staying on top of medications, or making sure that the countless practical errands of living are done properly and on time — these are the things that add up to high-quality care home service, whether for resident or care home situations.

Patience

People with mobility or memory issues, elderly folks or those who simply may be having a difficult day will all need your steady and unwavering patience. Both your clients’ psychological and physical conditions will often need you to undertake activities slowly, repeat yourself, or offer considerable help. This occasionally makes maintaining a tight schedule challenging, but an understanding care worker will be rewarded with appreciation and a greater bond of trust with those they support.

A calm bearing will not only help you manage stress and avoid burnout, it will reassure your clients that they are in safe hands. At Carehires, we want to empower care workers so they’re in the position to always give their best on the job. With our care worker support staff, some patience and a little sense of humor, we hope our care workers feel confident and supported as they do their important work.

Passion

Finally, we end with a characteristic that many in the field would consider the most important of all. It’s impossible to develop your standing as an excellent care worker without professionalism and the right attitude. And yet, at the end of the day, Carehires recognizes that what is ultimately of value is a person who can reliably deliver high quality care with a human touch. For many, care working is a calling and a passion. Care workers have the privilege of touching the lives of others. As a carer, you can make someone’s day brighter, easier and friendlier — what more could you want?

As a care worker, you play a truly key role in health care, and your services can not be overestimated. Because care workers work with some of society’s most vulnerable individuals, they need to go above and beyond. An excellent carer will know how to meet the patient’s needs, communicate with peers and patient family, and work professionally with care home staff. Above all, they can do their work with love and a genuine desire to improve the lives of others.