From Care Home to In-Home: Exploring Personal Caregiving as a Second Job for Care Home Workers
If you’re currently working as a care home worker, in-home caregiving can be a great option for a flexible part-time job and extra income with as few or as many hours as you prefer.
You may love being a care home worker, but find that you don’t have time to make significant impacts to any particular client because you are responsible for so many. Personal caregiving as a second job can fill that void and let you get to know your clients.
Benefits for current care home workers
There are many benefits to being a caregiver, especially if you are already employed in a care home.
Caregiving enables you to build more personal relationships with your clients because in most instances, you’ll be working with them one-to-one in their homes. Friendships may develop, especially as you communicate with your clients regularly and show interest in what they are doing during your time together.
In-home caregiving offers flexible hours – fill the best hours on the best days that fit your current needs. If you only want to fill hours while your child(ren) are in school, you can do that. If you want to fill a few hours on weekends or weeknights, those options are available too. You can select hours that work best in the summer, and then adjust to a better schedule when school starts up again.
As a current care home worker, you already have the experience and know-how to assist clients, so you can get started with a part-time caregiving job right away!
You may already have some nursing experience, or a nursing license, so when working in an in-home environment and as you get to know your client, you’ll naturally be able to provide them with better care because you’ll learn what they need and know how to help them through their illness, injury, or other challenges.
You can balance the part-time job with your current full-time work schedule.
You’re able to earn extra income for your family without losing precious time with your family, while helping someone else!
Caregiving in an in-home environment
Responsibilities of an in-home caregiver are focused around providing personal care to individuals who need assistance with their daily activities, usually due to age, disability, or illness, but it could be for other reasons.
The client may need help with personal hygiene, meal prep, cleaning, laundry, medication assistance, mobility assistance, transportation to appointments, or simple companionship.
Every client has different needs, and you can find the best fitting clients that fit your abilities, experience, and interests. Plus, your in-home clients will be local to you. There won’t be any long commute to or from their home.
Fulfilling work
You already know that caring for someone is fulfilling and rewarding work, but providing in-home assistance to someone who wants and needs your help pushes the satisfaction bar a bit higher. There is more of a commitment with in-home one-to-one care, but it’s great to know you are helping make someone’s day a little bit easier, a little bit more enjoyable, and maybe even a little more fun.
You may find your clients become like extended family after you and they start looking forward to your visits!
In-home caregiving requires a lot of personal interaction, and it can be quite meaningful to know that your efforts are making a positive difference in someone’s life.
You won’t be sacrificing time with your family when you are an in-home caregiver because you’re doing the extra work on a schedule that doesn’t conflict with your life.
If you’re looking for a way to earn extra money, or even if you are looking for new full-time work, in-home caregiving can be a great option, especially if you already have care home experience! Visit our Careers page to get started!
