Domiciliary Care Assistant; Everything You Need To Know About The Role!

Nothing beats the feeling of a home. You always want to return home no matter where you go or how much you enjoy spending time outdoors. But sometimes, living in your own home becomes difficult. Several illnesses, injuries, and mental or psychological issues make it harder for you to perform your day-to-day tasks. Thankfully, there is a solution, a domiciliary care assistant. 

Who Is A Domiciliary Care Assistant/Support Worker?

A domiciliary care assistant or carer is a trained professional who helps people live independently in their homes. Such individuals are also called support workers or private carers. However, the main difference between the two is that support workers may also provide care and support to individuals in a care facility, whereas domiciliary care assistants exclusively take care of patients at their own homes. They assist people in daily household tasks, either via daily visits or live-in care. Their main duties include helping people with medications, moving around, indoor and outdoor activities, and other simple household tasks. 

The main purpose of a domiciliary care assistant is to help people enjoy the same quality of life they’d have if they were able to perform all their daily tasks by themselves. If you or anyone you know is searching for domiciliary care jobs, it’s your time to first learn everything about the role. 

Duties Of A Domiciliary Care Assistant Or Support Worker

Just like every other domain of care provision, domiciliary care assistants or support workers must undergo a certain training program before taking on their role. Since the most significant aspect of their job is to enable patients to enjoy a healthy, independent life, their duties are also dedicated to the same direction. Below are the duties:

Personal Care: 

• Dressing up / helping the individual dress up for the day, outdoor activities or clinical check-ups
• Washing, grooming, bathing, grooming, combing hair, and brushing teeth
• Personal hygiene, toilet assistance
• Getting in and out of bed 
• Wound management (if proper nursing training has been acquired)
• Medications
• Wheelchair assistance

Dietary Care:

• Feeding the individual/helping them with eating & drinking 
• Meal preparation according to likes, dislikes, and doctor recommendations 
• Feeding the individual on time/ according to the timeline on a diet chart (depending on the situation of a patient)

Domestic Duties: 

• Household tasks such as cleaning, cooking, dusting, and vacuuming 
• Making bed
• Taking out the garbage, changing bed covers on time, laundry, driving the individual to the clinic and for groceries
• Gardening and other outdoor chores

Personal Assistance:

• In some instances, support workers also help with personal finances, budgeting, paying bills, and several other financial matters
• Personal event planning, going out to an event, keeping up with family calendars, etc.
• Civil & Democratic rights 

Skills & Experience Of A Support Worker

Although academically and professionally, there are certain sets of rules and regulations for care assistants, the biggest attribute or skill they must possess is compassion. Moreover, they must have some experience in the care business. Taking care of individuals at such a vulnerable stage of their lives requires more than just skill, and if a care assistant hasn’t been in a situation like that before, it can be difficult for them to tackle it. Internships & professional training are the best resources a support care worker can avail. 

Skills/Qualities of A Support Worker

Below are some of the most important skills of a support care worker:

Effective Communication: Communication with patients is the key.

Adaptability: Adapting to the changing circumstances and environments is essential for a smooth and seamless caregiving experience

Emotional Intelligence: This is the most vital skill as you must be able to empathise with others and their emotions. Many individuals are often at a stage in their lives where they might feel a lot of emotions at a time, if the care assistants can’t understand what they are going through, they won’t be able to take care of them.

Time Management: Providing care for individuals and helping them live an independent life at their home also requires time management. Doing everything on time is crucial. 

Collaboration: Even if you’re working as a support care worker at a home, you might have to take the individual to a doctor, speak with them, and share their history, symptoms, and medication routine, you must know how to work with them to achieve the ultimate, providing optimal care to the individual. 

Types Of Care Assistants & Own Work Role 

If you often search for domiciliary care assistant jobs near me, you must be a support worker or a domiciliary care assistant. But care provision or a caregiver’s job entails a lot of things and thus, there are many different types of care assistants out there. 

Care workers, healthcare assistants, support care workers, care assistants, registered nurses, hospice aides, Assistive care providers, personal carers, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and nursing professionals are all care professionals.

However, one thing that is common in all these jobs is the own work role. According to this role, all care professionals must take care of the space where they work. This includes keeping the area clean, following discipline, respecting co-workers, abiding by the rules of a facility, and maintaining health and safety at all times. This also includes providing professional assistance and training to workers under your supervision. Keeping your workspace free from all hazards is also a top priority. 

Whether you’re searching for a domiciliary care assistant job or looking to hire a support worker, ESGO is one platform that helps with easy staffing solutions and flexible care jobs for HCAs and care workers. To learn more, head over to our website or become a member today!