Professional Care Givers 

As the name implies, these are the people who have chosen a career in providing care to others.  Regardless of what others may say this is not the lowest rung on the medical ladder.  It is a part of the profession that is the most important and rewarding.  The caregiver is the one person spending the most time with the client, performing tasks that enable the client/patient to maintain a sense of dignity and independence.  The caregiver gives of him or herselft for the benefit of the client.

The caregiver provides assistance with the activities of daily living.  These are feeding,bathing and dressing of the client.  These activities can take hours when working with someone who is doing restorative care, like the client who has had a stroke, knee or hip replacement.  The caregiver needs to know how far to encourage the client and incorporate excercises with the daily activities.  They also need to know when to allow the client  rest.  The goal is to assist the client to become as independent as possible.

Assisting a client with a shower or bath can also be a very time consuming adventure.  Often times a client will not tell the caregiver how much fear they actually have in the bathroom.  There is always the fear of falling and causing extra injury.  The dementia patients seem to all have a fear of bathing.  It sometimes seems as though they fear the water will cause them to disintergrate.  We often find  that a bathroom needs to be very warm first before trying to bath a client.  It may take a great deal of time convincing the client that the bathroom is safe and it is okay to bathe.

Cooking for the client is also an area where there can be a lot of problems.  Food may not taste good to a client due to the medications they are taking and or an illness.  The caregiver may try and cook for a client and accommodate their taste, but this does not always work to the benefit of anyone.  Food can become an issue between the client and the caregiver, as the caregiver does not know what the client likes to eat.  Many times the client does not have the stamina to instruct the caregiver in their likes and dislikes where food is concerned.  It takes a good caregiver not to give up and continue to try and find foods that are appropriate for the client.  

The caregiver must deal with clients who may have incontinent issues. They work with the client ambulating safely, using devices that are ncessary to make it safe to walk.  The caregivers assist in the activities of daily living and with medication reminders, as well as knowing how to preform safe transfers.  They need to encourage clients who do not want to change their sedentary life style to one that includes exercise as appropriate for their condition.

Often times the caregiver works like a domestic, incorporating household chores with multiple therapies that are geared to assist the client in becoming better and stronger.  The caregiver is the one who does the "dirty jobs" and do not complain, they just get the job done.

A home health agency, a board and care and assisted living facility is only as good as its caregivers.  The caregivers are to be saluted, honored for their work, their ethics and their continued sense of humor.  Their ability to care and comfort for their clients is deeply appreciated.

Sharon Grinnell, RN, DON

Home Health Care, Inc.