8 Common Misconceptions About The Role Of A Caregiver

Caregiving is a field that seems to be shrouded in mystery. People often think that caregivers spend their days working with the very frail, who are completely unable to function on their own. This brings to mind images of unsavory personal care tasks or advanced medical needs.

The truth is that a caregiver's job is much more enjoyable than that. Here, we'll dispel eight of the most common misunderstandings that we hear about the role of a caregiver.

Caregiving Is Only A Woman’s Job

Men are very much welcome in the field of caregiving. In fact, is not uncommon for men to provide some level of care to their family members. According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, women make up 75% of all caregivers, and men account for 25%¹. There are no gender roles in caregiving, only a heart to serve and a love for the job.

Only The Very Sick Need A Caregiver

Actually, each client has individual needs, and many of them are perfectly healthy individuals. The role of a caregiver can be as simple as helping out with grocery shopping or household chores. Some clients just need a companion to stay with them and provide meals while a family member is away.

You Are On Your Own

Here at Alpha Home Care, should you decide to work as an aide, we can say with certainty that you will not be on your own. We never want you to feel like you are on your own. We have other aides to assist, and management with an open door to listen to your questions and concerns. We seek to get to know you and support you in any way possible.

There Are No Rewards To Caregiving

It may not seem like it from the outside looking in, but there are many rewards to caregiving. We recently interviewed two of our aides. Read what they had to say about the unexpected rewards of caregiving.

I Need A Degree To Be A Caretaker

Not unless you want one! Most of the time, clients need help with everyday activities, such as grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, exercise, and bathing. Anything outside of these activities, we leave to the medical professionals.

Caregiving Is A 24/7 Job

No matter what the client needs, you get to choose what level of care you would like to provide. And because there are varying degrees of assistance needed, the job can work with any schedule. Some clients only need a few hours of help, while others need a little bit more. Most of our clients need 2-4 hours of help a day.

You Have To Do Everything For The Client

You will have to do far less than you might expect. About 95% of our clients live on their own, and 5% with a friend or family member. Most of our clients want to maintain their independence with just a little bit of help here and there.

Caretaking Includes The Client's Pets

You get to make this call yourself. If you like pets and don’t mind helping the client feed and water their pet, great. If not, you can respectfully decline. Taking care of their pet is not in your job title. Additionally, you are able to request a different client if their pet makes you uncomfortable.

As you can see, the caregivers and homekeepers at Alpha Home Care aren't providing advanced medical care. Our team is there to assist their clients with basic, everyday needs. All of this can be done on a schedule that is convenient for our staff as well as the client.

If you think caregiving or homekeeping could be a good fit for you, we'd love to talk. Visit our careers page for more information, or feel free to reach out with any questions you may have.

¹ Data from Caregiver.org