‘Community Care’ is a term used to describe the different services available to assist people in their own homes rather than in hospital. Community care workers allow elderly people to keep their independence by providing care and assistance in the comfort and familiarity of their homes. It is not just the elderly that require the services of the Community Care teams; they also provide carers to help with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and mental health issues.
There are a number of different ways in which Community Care workers can provide assistance:
Live-In Carers
As the name suggests, live-in carers move into the home of the person they are caring for. Home care jobs enable the carer to provide round the clock, personalised care. Live-in carers help with all aspects of the care recipient’s day to day life, from cooking and cleaning the home to aiding them with personal matters like washing and dressing. Live-in carers provide companionship as well as being there in case of emergencies at all hours of the day and night. They can reduce the strain on the client’s family and spouse, and can build up a rapport which can enable the client to have a better quality of life.
Domiciliary Care Workers are sometimes known as Home Care workers. They are carers that visit the home of the client during the day (or at night if required), but do not reside there. Domiciliary Care Workers provide assistance with general household tasks, personal matters and occasionally accompanying the client on appointments to the doctor or hospital. Domiciliary Care Workers usually visit the client once or twice a week for a few hours at a time, working in tandem with the client’s family.
Respite Carers
Respite or replacement carers provide a break for full time carers, allowing them the opportunuity to have a holiday or have some time to themselves. Respite carers take over live in care for a short amount of time to ensure the client has no disruption to their schedule. They are able to perform all the tasks usually taken care of by the full-time carer, on a short-term basis. Whilst caring for the sick and elderly is rewarding, it can at times be challenging and difficult. Everyone deserves a break from time to time, and Respite Carers provide this for full time carers.
Those looking to become a worker in Community Care need to be compassionate, caring and patient. They need to be social, have a sense of humour, and be up to the challenge of working in difficult circumstances. The role of a Community Care worker is essential to the people who depend on them, not just the elderly or ill patients, but also their families. You will need to be able to put the needs of others before yourself, and become a lifeline for the people that you care for. Good carers who feel passionately about improving the lives of others find Community Care work very rewarding.
