Elderly Care and Caring for the Disabled

A carer is a person who provides assistance or support with daily activities. This can include: bathing and grooming, housekeeping, help with meals, and encouragement of behaviors that enhances community involvement.
The list of things a carer can and cannot do depends on the setting and the specific job. It is not possible to write one job description.

These are some common tasks for carers:

– Personal Care, helping a person in the bath, getting dressed, and eating.

– Running errands and shopping; taking a client to appointments.

– Chores around the house: cleaning, meal preparation.

– Help a person to become more self-sufficient; teach and encourage them to live as independently as possible.

here are a range of factors which carers must consider when carrying out their duties, as it can influence what they can and cannot do. Examples of such factors are outlined below:

Agency Policies and Procedures: Each agency has its own policies and procedures. What a carer may do when working for one agency may not be the same for another agency. For example, what to do if a client falls.

Agency Licenses and Contracts: Agencies working with public programs have contracts. These describe what the agency must do for clients on their behalf. Some agencies have a license for certain services. For example, giving medications, washing and cleaning for clients.

Types of Care Setting: The scope of what a carer can do is also based on the care setting. For example, a person’s private home is different from an assisted living home. There may be fewer facilities available to the carer to perform duties.

For any person receiving support, a service team helps to coordinate the services. Each person on the team has a special function. Each situation is different, but often the following is part of a care service team:

Family Members
Family members are a valuable part of the service team as they: provide emotional support; encourage the person to do as much for themselves and for as long as possible to prevent atrophy of the mind and body; communicate with the case manager/support coordinator about the person’s needs.

Case Manager/ Support Coordinator
The case manager/ support coordinator often fulfills the following duties in the care process: Determine the needs of the person and arrange for the required services. Monitor for changes in the person’s needs.