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Caregivers make a significant difference in the lives of the people they touch. But the reality is that only some people’s cut out for this job since it takes many things to be mastered.
Caregivers need a lot of positive and resilient skillsets that will be useful to them as they venture on to this career. To be ready and able to become the best caregiver you can be is a list of some essential skills and qualities you must learn to become the best caregiver you can be.
1 – You need to show compassion.
Compassion is when you can connect with someone else in a way that you understand what they’re going through. When you have heart, it makes you want to help them when they have problems—being compassionate means listening and communicating with utter sincerity.
It is crucial because, in caregiving, you are giving your time, energy, and emotional capacity to other people, which can be draining for someone who has too little of them. So if you want to be a caregiver but lack compassion, you must honestly reevaluate whether this job is for you.
2 – Communicate effectively.
Excellent communication skills are fundamental in any job, but this is as crucial as having compassion in caregiving. Caregivers spend a great deal of time talking to patients, families, doctors, and colleagues, so they need to be sharp in communicating each other’s needs.
Caregivers also need to be good at written communication, especially with people in the industry. It helps them become well-versed in interacting with family members and other healthcare professionals.
3 – Having interpersonal skills is vital.
Caregiving is a very social job. It is not built for people who have a hard time interacting with people daily. That doesn’t mean you must be an extrovert to become a caregiver, but being able to talk to people and establish rapport will be beneficial.
Having interpersonal skills lets you build open relationships with your patients, especially when they feel isolated and lonely because no one reaches out to them. It will help cheer them up when they have a trustworthy companion that understands what they’re going through.
4 – Be observant of everything and everyone around you.
You need more than just talking to people or writing correspondence to colleagues and doctors. It would help if you had intense focus since some patients have difficulty articulating their needs or accurately describing their feelings.
As the caregiver, it would help if you were alert enough to determine their needs and observe their habits. It would be best if you had a sharp eye to keep looking out for changes in your patient’s overall health and actions. This skill will help you as you note down your reports during home visits and facility rounds.
5 – Time management
You are still responsible for your time and must ensure that you do your job productively within the shift. A good caregiver knows what tasks to prioritize, works efficiently, and is not burdened by challenging tasks.
6 – Staying organized
You can’t be an efficient caregiver if you are disorganized. Caregivers must be able to access whatever items are necessary to meet the challenge of the moment. If you do not live with your patient, then you must ensure you have an organized bag for the visit.
Being ready for every emergency is also part of the job. In every untoward incident, every second counts, so caregivers need to be alert to whatever comes their way. It pays to be organized as a caregiver and simultaneously retains composure in times of emergency.
7 – Incredible patience and flexibility
This goes without saying – you can’t be a caregiver and not have the qualities of patience and flexibility. Taking care of patients full-time is challenging enough, especially when they have irrational or in critical moments of other health or medical episodes.
In the caregiving profession, you’ll be dealing with many patients who throw tantrums and have accidents that you have to clean up, which can be very frustrating. Even if you feel like falling apart on the job, resting for a while is okay. There are ways to cope with burnout and stress so that you can take care of yourself better.
In Conclusion
Being a caregiver is not easy at all. You have a lot to prepare for, which can be physically, emotionally, and mentally draining. But with the proper guidance, like people close to you or a book about how to become a caregiver titled ‘One Caregiver’s Journey’ by Eleanor Gaccetta.
A robust support system within the job is also important to power through and keep yourself sane. After all, being a caregiver requires your total capacity as a human being so that patients are well taken care of.
Alex Writes 