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Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Live-in Carer?

Find out the key qualities associated with being a live-in carer so you can discover if this rewarding job is for you.

According to up-to-date-statistics, the percentage of the population that is aged 65 years or older is growing and went from 14.1 percent in the 1970's, to 17.8 percent in the last few years. These statistics tell us that by 2045 a quarter of the population will be aged 65 or over.

The increasing number of elderly people means that there is an increasing demand for care, which in turn has boosted the care industry resulting in more care jobs.

Residential care home jobs, visiting carers and of course, live-in cares are in high demand. Live-in carers are particularly sought after because many people are starting to realise that live-in care is an affordable care option compared to a residential care home.

That doesn't mean that anybody can become a live-in carer though. The job is highly skilled and not everybody has what it takes to be a live-in carer.

If you're interested in this highly rewarding job, read on to see if you have what it takes:

 

Good Physical Strength

You have to be in good shape to be a live-in carer as it is a very physical job. As well as personal tasks associated with the care of your client, you may have to clean, walk dogs, cook, and even do bits of gardening. Every job is different but it is guaranteed that you will be on your feet most of the time.

 

Good Emotional Strength

When you become a live-in carer you are committing to forming a bond and client-to-carer relationship with your client. You may care for them for many years, and you will get to know them and possibly their friends and family as well. Working in live-in care will, at some point, involve you moving on to care for another person because your current client has passed away. This can be extremely difficult to deal with emotionally, so you have to have a special kind of strength to deal with moving on from a person you cared for. 

 

Time Away From Home

Live-in carers will spend a lot of their time with their clients, which means time away from home. You may spend more time caring for your client that you do seeing your own family. This is something that you have to accept as part of the job of a live-in carer.

 

Being Able To Multi-Task

You will have to multitask a lot as a live-in carer because your job won't just be performing a single task at a time. You will have a full schedule with lots of different jobs to complete, often at the same time, so you should be able to multi-task.

 

Good Self Discipline

As a live-in carer, the hours you are getting paid should be worthy of pay, so if you find yourself with more downtime than you should have during working hours, you should have the self-discipline to ask about additional tasks you can do to fill that time.

 

A Deeply Caring Nature

Carers are fundamentally caring people and that is the key quality that attracts them to the caring profession. However, live-in carers are caring for much longer hours and on a much more intense basis compared to those providing care visits or working in residential care home jobs. Live-in carers must have a desire to make a real difference to a person's life.

These are just some of the qualities you should possess to be a live-in carer. If you think that you're suited to a live-in carer job, and the qualities above resonate with you, consider looking into it as a career choice today. You could be on your way to a job that gives you the deep job satisfaction you've been looking for.

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