Our Care Professionals are the foundation of our services and life-changing idea that the best care is in-home care. As our seniors enjoy a regular schedule, there’s always a reliable routine to help guide your work throughout each day. Here’s a first-hand look at the “average” day for one of our Care Professionals – each day has its own challenges and rewards!
Rise and Shine: Morning Routines
Our Care Professionals are up bright and early to help our seniors get their day started. You’ll often help a care recipient get dressed, bathe, groom themselves and more, depending on their needs and the plans for the day. Meanwhile, you’ll often have breakfast started, prepared any medication, and cared for pets. Frequently, you’ll enjoy breakfast or a cup of coffee together while ensuring the patient receives all required medications.
Get Moving!
Care Professionals keep the day moving with cleaning, exercise, and getting the client out of the house if possible for some fresh air. You’ll tidy up around the residence, start laundry, take out the trash, and anything else to keep the house clean for your client. Once the house is prim and proper, you’re responsible for getting them on the move with a walk, preferred exercises, or simply out of the house for an adventure to the park, library, or everyday errands.
Lunchtime
Now, the morning is done: time to get a midday meal in. Care Professionals give the client time to rest while they take care of fixing lunch. This also frees you up to attend to medications, tidying up, or anything else that needs done. Lunch is a great time to be together with the care recipient, talking to them about the morning, laying plans for the afternoon, and generally forming a friendship. Once you’re done, you’ll clean and get things teed up for the afternoon’s routines.
Ease Into the Afternoon
After lunch is the perfect time to let the care recipient take a nap, rest by the television, or read a book. This is the perfect time to clean up the kitchen, let pets out, refill their medication boxes, or schedule future appointments.
This is also a great time for a Care Professional to check in with our home office helpline to talk through any questions or concerns related to the care of their senior client. Home Instead® never leaves you alone, no matter where you are, and you always have access to your support staff, whenever you need it – now is just a handy time to address any non-emergency concerns about the patient or answer any questions you have so far.
Finally, Care Professionals also take this time to play games with the client, sit with them to provide companionship, as well as anything else the client requests for the day. If they’re sufficiently rested, they may want to go out again for the day!
Dinner time
After a rewarding day, it’s time to start dinner, usually enjoyed by both the Care Professional and the care recipient. This is usually a sit-down, leisurely meal and can even be enjoyed with friends, if appropriate. You’ll administer medications and in general keep the client company. Now’s a good time to introduce books, light exercise ideas, or an episode or two of their favorite show to help wind down the day.
Good Night!
Finally, it’s time to help your client get comfortable as they ease into a good night’s sleep. You’ll finish the day with any nightly medications and maybe a bath or shower if you’ve not already done so in the morning, as well as any other needed care activities. In most situations, you’ll prepare your care recipient to be alone for the night and head home to wind down in your own way! Or other times, another Care Professional will relieve you for a night-shift in the client’s home.
A Career with an Impact
These routines form the backbone of our Care Professional’s daily routines, although one of the best parts of this job is that no day is exactly the same! Working with a senior client means there are always conversations and activities to fill your day, which means Care Professionals should be flexible and up for whatever the day has in store for them.
If this sounds like a great way to earn a living, becoming a Care Professional could be the career for you! We are currently hiring and looking for quality candidates who enjoy caring for our seniors. Learn if you meet the qualifications for this fulfilling career: Home Instead® Careers.