Will I only look after old people?
Live-in care means to live with someone and take care of them. You may sometimes presume that every person you take care of would be elderly. This is not necessarily true, although these days most of the people who need live-in care are older.
While most of your clients may be in the higher age bracket, there are many younger people who also need care at home.
Multiple Sclerosis strikes people at any age and is often debilitating to the point of needing help with general housework and possibly personal care. This is not the only reason for a younger person having live-in care. The longer you work in the care industry, the greater chance that you will come across a client who has spinal injuries, or who is disabled in some way.
Some agencies specialise in spinal injury clients and for this you will need to undergo their training in order to work with this condition. Some agencies only accept clients with learning disabilities, and again, special training will be provided for this. Most agencies, however, will have many clients on their books with conditions that vary.
While some carers may find it a little daunting to take care of someone who is the same age or even younger than themselves, you will find that their basic needs remain the same. They need help to manage their daily routine, and possibly help in keeping their social activities the same – or at least like they did in the past.
There are some distinct advantages to live-in care with a younger person. Very often they do not have conditions such as Dementia, and this means that there is the opportunity for some quality conversations between you and your client. In a job which is largely focused on disjointed and repetitive conversations (due to conditions such as advanced Dementia) carers are often faced with solitude and lack of conversation.
Often a younger client has lost a lot of their social circle because they can no longer partake in activities such as cycling or hiking. They can no longer play tennis or swim and their circle of friends may have become smaller. You taking them out will fill a little bit of this awful gap in their lives.
Younger clients may still want to enjoy a social life and often include outings in their days. Cinemas may be a routine as well as walking when the weather is good. Certainly, many younger clients may enjoy their gardens and visits to garden centres. All these events make for an interesting day for both you and your client.
Should I opt for younger clients instead?
Well, you do have a choice of accepting a client or refusing the placement. Bear in mind that there are fewer younger clients than older ones, so in only opting for younger clients you will be placing yourself in a situation where you get less work.
Accepting a placement that suits you is important, and if you are placed with a younger client, remember that they require the same respect and diplomacy that you will give to an older person. Then enjoy their company, and you will find not only a happy client, but a rewarding placement.
Tags:
© 2025 EJOBBOARD LTD. All Rights Reserved.