The benefits provided by a caregiver to a senior cannot be denied or understated. In addition to assisting with personal care and assistance with medication reminders, meal preparation, dressing and grooming, a caregiver is also a companion for a senior who may otherwise suffer from minimal social contact.
While the benefits a caregiver offers a senior are often applauded, we want to take a moment to focus on the benefits received when acting as a caregiver to a senior. The senior is not the only one benefitting from this arrangement, and it’s time we discuss all the benefits that caregiving offers to the one providing care.
A Sense of Purpose
Purpose is what drives us to get up and make each day better than the last, and without a purpose, it can be challenging to know what to do next. When a CNA or Home Health Aide provides in-home assistance to a senior, they have a purpose and a set of tasks to accomplish, which helps them to find their calling in life. Not only that, but they get to end each day knowing that they have made a difference in someone’s life.
Closer Relationships
When acting as a caregiver, you get to spend considerable time with a senior or loved one. This close proximity and time spent together offer the chance to grow a relationship and allow it to flourish.
Even family members who felt close to their loved ones before beginning caregiving can admit that acting as a caregiver has resulted in closer relationships because of all the time you are able to spend with them.
Rewarding
When you work as a caregiver, you are choosing a career that directly benefits the care and well-being of someone else. Whether you are cooking meals, providing companionship or keeping someone safe, you are making a difference in someone’s life and providing value in an area where it was previously lacking.
It is gratifying to acknowledge the difference your presence and actions make in someone’s life, and you are able to see the benefits of your work every single day that you spend time with the senior.
Lack of Boredom
Caregiving is a flexible and active career that often appeals to those who are not fans of office jobs where the entire day is spent at a desk but are looking for a career where they can make a difference. This is an exciting job that not only keeps you on your toes but also allows you to build connections across all aspects of your life.
Seniors are a wealth of knowledge, wisdom, and experience. We can learn so much from them. Their stories and life experiences are roadmaps and guidelines for the present generation to progress.
Becoming a Caregiver
For those interested in acting as a caregiver, you are embarking on a rewarding career that will offer resounding benefits to both you and the senior under your care.
Allcare Home Health is always looking for experienced, dedicated, compassionate caregivers with good availability to work with our clients. Call (919) 301-0236 for more information.
References
Caregivers: MedlinePlus. (2022) Retrieved 20 March 2022, from https://medlineplus.gov/caregivers.html
Being a Caregiver. (2022). Retrieved 20 March 2022, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/caregiving/being-a-caregiver