Is anyone else a Home Care Worker?

[peggotty]

I have an interview tomorrow for a Home Care Worker - I've requested 15-18 hours per week, which will involve working alternate weekends and an evening or 2 but i was pretty restrictive with the days/hours I can be available (dd in school, ds in preschool 2.5 days a week) and they still want to interview me!! I haven't had an interview for 11 years as have been SAHM and in the sane job for 4 years before I left to have children so am a tad nervous.

I am applying to uni to do occupational therapy and think that a Home care job would be good 'front line' experience in caring. Can anyone give me an idea what it's like?

[sneakybeak]

Ooh I'm an OT - I'll help as much as I can.

Have a think about rehab/independence together with care.

Each person will be an individual and have needs that others don't. One client may choose to have help washing and dressing to conserve their energy/pain levels to do something later in the day they enjoy.

Think about privacy and dignity. Introducing yourself to clients, asking how they would like to be addressed 'Mrs X', 'carol', 'chubby' etc.... This will help establish a rapport. Confidentiality is important too.

Your organisational skills being a SAHM will be really useful. Prioritisation, standards, attention to detail, that sort of thing.

Good luck! PM me if there's anything OT related you'd like info on.

[sneakybeak]

I actually didn't answer your question did I?

[peggotty]

sneakybeak - no that was all really useful, I've got another thread on here somewhere about OT ( can't link, am on my phone) so I really appreciate all input about OT as well! Do you think that a Homr Care job might give me 'the edge' to get ok the course next year? I am also in the process of arranging OT job shadowing.

[peggotty]

That should say to get into the course obv!

[sneakybeak]

Yes - shadowing and care work will be useful. I think most uni's would like there to be an acknowledgement of the difference though. I used to work on a rehab team, and we could let someone spend 10mins putting their sock on. In that ten minutes they could achieve the following processes:

object recognition
sequencing
stamina
fine/gross motor control
balance
potentially using an adaptive technique/equipment.

However, a home carer would be there to put the sock on. Care workers will 'do' whereas OT's would look to 'facilitate'.

So with the sock example - today they might only get the front of the sock on their foot with a sock aid... each day they'd get better, and get the sock on further... Eventually they might ditch the sock aid... And then voila, they have achieved that goal and are now independent at that task.

I'm off to find your other thread!