Why Work in Care Home: Part 2
If you’re an avid reader of our blogs you’ll know that this is a subject that we’ve covered before. However, there is no end to the list of reasons why you should work in a care home. We’ve covered the opportunities for career progression, the work hours to suit you and more, so in this blog, we wanted to explore the topic further and give some other reasons why working in a care home could be the right path for you. Don’t forget, QS Care is here to help on every step of the journey.
A social network
Are you someone who thrives off socialising with people all day? Chatting and engaging with multiple different people? Choosing a role in care homes means you can do this…all day. Whilst working in a care home means you’re responsible for the physical care of the residents, you also have a responsibility for their mental and emotional wellbeing. This means getting to know them and their social and emotional requirements.
In addition to this, you may also have the responsibility of liaising with the family members of the residents and any visitors that they may have. Many individuals find it extremely difficult to adjust to a life in care, so a high level of emotional intellect and sensitivity is required. Overall, there are very few jobs out there where having a cup of tea and a chat is ‘work’ and you get paid for it.
Further qualifications
For some, working in care is the first career choice you make but for others, working in a care setting comes later in life. Therefore, one of the best things about working in a care home is the opportunity to work up to degree-level qualifications on the job. Your skills and personal values are of extreme importance and therefore celebrated when working in this sector.
For example, attaining relevant qualifications can be desirable for many who wish to work in care as it can equip them with more in-depth, specialist knowledge, as well as give them confidence in their abilities or eligibility to seek promotion. When it comes to qualifications, the typical ones are Health and Social Care levels 1, 2 and 3, you can learn more about specific qualifications here and who offers them.
The opportunity to work with hugely interesting individuals
As covered when discussing the social network above, when you work in a care home you have the never-ending opportunity to truly get to know the people you are working with. No matter what level of care you are working at or what care the home specialises in, you will be involved in the care of multiple people who have amazing stories and different life experiences to share. Take the care home couple we covered on our social channels on Valentine’s Day who proved it is never too late to find love! Beryl Harman and Peter Ambler moved into the same care home and immediately had a connection with each other and “gelled instantly” Mr Ambler said: “Since being with this lady, I’ve been happy. We spend all of our time together and do enjoy a kiss and a cuddle!”.
It is not often you can experience such a varied perspective on life, by working in a care home you are lucky enough to experience life through the lives of others. That’s why our carers are so important to us at QS Care. In fact, we often celebrate our QS Care Heroes as we know working in care can be demanding as well as rewarding. Learn about our QS Care heroes here.
Entertainment and the “fun factor”
Working in a care home is so much more than just managing the health and safety requirements of residents as well as their physical and emotional care. There are also several opportunities to be creative and provide entertainment and fun activities for the residents. Take the residents of Horndean care home for example, who put on their dancing shoes to try out new and exciting fitness classes. Read more about this here.
Many care homes encourage their residents to engage in regular creative, fitness, singing and dancing activities. Say you have a particular affliction with this? You can implement this into your everyday job. Put together and lead these activities regularly, not only motivating yourself and your co-workers but also the individuals you care for. This way you can bring your passion for your hobbies into your daily work.
Becoming a carer is a highly rewarding and fulfilling role, and even on the most trying days, you have the reward of knowing that you made a real positive difference to another person’s life.
Interested in starting or continuing your career in care? Explore the vacancies we have open here.
