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AUDIO // In this episode Claire speaks about what it means to meet both caregiver and elder foundational needs.
Participating in the eldercare industry today can be a rewarding experience in a field with a growing need for dedicated employees. Any service industry demands a level of empathy and concern for the clients you serve or at a minimum a respectful interaction. Education, skill level and experience are often required. In the eldercare industry where the need for employees are highest for medical and social services, personal attributes for success include a need for compassion and kindness, patience and attentiveness. These are human attributes of quality in individual relationships, groups, and communities.
Setting priorities to meet demands for eldercare, the most critical are considered the most basic, for bodily health and physical safety (see Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.) Basic needs are the foundation for all other human activity and therefore essential. Professionally then, providing for basic human needs ought to be very highly valued. Unfortunately, the term ”basic” is also contemporary slang for describing someone in a derogatory way as less. This characterization can attach itself to the work of caregivers, resulting in a lack of respect and low wages.
In the sense of providing care to older adults, within the wide-ranging elder care industry every level of medical and social service employee, family members and the operations departments of dedicated facilities and agencies can be considered elder caregivers. Beyond health and safety, the need for belonging, esteem, and actualization are present throughout life. Developmental needs continue into old age and when addressed result in better physical and mental health and longevity. There are doctors who are geriatricians and geriatric nurses. Elder specialists are occupational, physical and mental health therapists. Social workers may be geriatric care managers. Family members who provide basic bodily care, ensure loved ones are safe at home and give companionship and belonging hire home health assistants to help manage these needs of loved ones.
Employment in the eldercare industry reflects the opportunity to meet the needs of individuals in ways particularly effective for eldercare. In health care and elder housing facilities, caregivers are also referred to as care partners and care technicians. There may be specific levels of training attached to these terms. The job description should clearly state the duties and requirements.
The number of aging individuals who need help with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as eating, bathing, and dressing, or instrumental activities (IADLs), such as companionship, transportation, and household management, increases with age. More people are living longer and longevity models globally show this trend steadily increasing. Caregivers who assist in meeting an elder’s basic needs are performing work that can keep elders healthy and productive, assist family members and make it possible for the elder to be part of elder housing communities. These service positions provide an entry point into the eldercare industry with the lowest skill level requirement. However, the industry needs to recognize that eldercare and society require these employees. They need to be viewed as professionals and supported by competitive pay and ongoing training and development.
Sadly today there are substandard facility settings and home care that do not deliver physical care or safety. Trusted domestic workers are filling the gap for families who cannot afford to place loved ones in elder housing. The burden of care is the most urgent growing need in the elder services industries. Lots of older adults are entering into a time of active longevity. They can continue to be active with perhaps limited assistance from caregivers into old age. Others will not be so fortunate and require more assistance at an earlier age. Caregivers in our aging population will represent the most plentiful employment of the elder services industries. Professionalizing and nurturing these employees, paying a decent wage and providing opportunity with career growth, improves societal quality of life.
Perhaps you’re an art student looking for an internship, a new graduate with a degree in psychology or a facilities manager or agency director looking for a new opportunity. The eldercare industry has a need for your skills and fresh perspective.
If you decide to be a part of the eldercare industry, know the added value you as an individual bring to the position you fill. You deserve the same respect you give to others for their care service. You are a partner in the delivery of care with the agencies, teams, and families as well as those in your charge.