If you are passionate about making a difference in the lives of others, becoming a professional caregiver, or, more specifically, a Nursing Assistant, maybe your calling. Once you’ve made that decision, you’ll discover that nursing assistants work in various settings, including private residences in Indianapolis. Like any other profession, you’ll need to weigh the pros and cons of being a home care Nursing Assistant before making a final decision. Here are six reasons why it might just be the best career opportunity you’ll ever have.
What Does a Home Care Nursing Assistant Do?
A home care Nursing Assistant, or Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), is a professional caregiver trained to help clients maintain their hygiene and health in their chosen place of residence. Nursing Assistants (NAs) assist clients in many ways, starting with daily functions such as dressing, bathing, food shopping, preparing healthy meals, or providing companionship.
NAs sometimes also take a patient’s vital signs or give them medicine under the direction of a licensed nurse. They can even help with planning for doctor’s appointments or coordinating transportation.
Additional NA duties may include:
Grocery shopping
Light housekeeping
Reporting to supervision about a client’s health status
Help organize a client’s schedule.
Coordinate care with therapists, doctors, and other medical professionals.
Some NAs even work with clients who have developmental or intellectual disabilities to help create a behavior plan and teach self-care skills, for instance, doing laundry or paying bills.
Is Home Care the Right Career Fit for You?
Here are six things home care NAs in Indianapolis love about their jobs:
Job satisfaction
For starters, you’ll feel instant satisfaction knowing you’re making a difference in the lives of others. As a NA, you’ll develop personal relationships with your clients and experience a sense of accomplishment that can only come with knowing that you are enhancing another human being’s quality of life. Some of those relationships last for a lifetime.
Supports client independence
When an older adult doesn’t have any reliable family caregivers to look after them, moving into a care facility is a distinct possibility. Your efforts will allow them to live comfortably and independently in their home. Seniors who remain independent tend to be happier, healthier, and even live longer than those who aren’t.
Healthy work-life balance
While working as an in-home caregiver, you’ll be able to pick and choose your own hours. This makes for a great career for any person at any stage of life, notably for part-time students and those with young children. For instance, if you’d like to earn a nursing degree while working, a career as an NA offers many rewards and opportunities, including a healthy work-life balance.
Professional development
As an NA, personal development also matters. A career in the healthcare field allows you to grow on both a personal and professional level. Through a supportive and nurturing environment, there are many different options each caregiver will experience, which then allows them to choose a specific path for career advancement.
Skill specialization
Being an NA also allows you to specialize your skills. Through home care, you can either focus on adult care or pediatrics while building a resume working within a specialty you enjoy. Whether you love assisting new parents bringing their infant home for the first time or an aging adult with complex medical needs, becoming a home care NA puts you on the right career path to success.
Recession-proof
According to projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in healthcare occupations – including home care – is expected to grow 15 percent over the next decade. Even during an economic slowdown, the demand for Nursing Assistants will only continue to rise. That means you will be able to take advantage of a robust job market for many years to come.
How to Find the Best Home Care Employer
Whether you are a new Nursing Assistant or a seasoned pro, here’s how to land your home care career dream job:
Steady hours
Like everyone else, you have bills to pay. Does the home care company offer consistent hours every week? Given that assignments may vary, be sure the agency has plenty of opportunities to work and that maintaining a set number of hours every week won’t be an issue.
Company culture
If you place a high value on workplace diversity and inclusion, you’ll want to choose a home care company with a culture that aligns with your own beliefs. Working with like-minded people in a family environment that encourages the open sharing of ideas will keep you motivated even on days when nothing else seems to be going right.
Reputation
Another way to gauge whether your decision is sound is by learning what others say about the agency in their own words. Discover all you can about the agency’s reputation by speaking to current and past employees, reading online client reviews, and checking out any awards or certifications they have received within the past few years.
Earning potential
According to Payscale.com, the average hourly pay for an in-home caregiver in the U.S. is $13.00. Based on variables like experience, geographic location, and employer demand, caregiver salaries range from $10.00 to $18.00 per hour.
As a trained healthcare professional, you’ll want to be well-compensated for your efforts. Look for an employer that offers you the ability to make a good income upfront, along with the potential to increase your earning power through education, training, additional work responsibilities, and performance bonuses.
Education opportunities
Does the agency provide employees with personal development and growth opportunities, including education and certification courses? Look for an employer with staff training programs that will enable you to expand your skills and advance in your career.
For instance, the company might offer staff education programs on topics like how to safely transfer larger clients or effectively communicate with those living with dementia or Alzheimer’s. A more recent example would be learning about COVID-19 safety protocols that caregivers need to follow while assisting clients in the home.
Exciting Home Care Career Opportunities in Indianapolis
If you are ready to make a difference in the lives of others by serving as a professional in-home caregiver, we invite you to join our winning team. Due to our expanding client load, Senior1Care is presently seeking qualified individuals to fill several exciting caregiving positions. While proudly serving communities in Indianapolis, South Bend, and Fort Myers we support clients and their families with services that include personal care, respite care, private duty care, 24-hour care, Alzheimer’s and dementia care, and more.
As a highly valued member of the Senior1Care team, you’ll enjoy a fast-paced, positive work environment where your input is appreciated, and hard work rewarded. We also offer competitive pay, flexible scheduling, ongoing staff training, and career advancement opportunities galore. No matter your experience level or education, we’d love to hear from you! To learn more about our open positions, please visit us today at www.senior1care.com.
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