Carer on a care home versus Health Care Assistant in a hospital

[isitme111]

Asking on behalf of a friends daughter who wants to move in to care work. Can anyone who has worked in both a care home and as a HCA in a hospital explain what the differences are and which environment is better. I assume the NHS would offer a better salary, pension, leave etc so it's more about the differences in roles. The DD is 17 so quite young but it seems she really wants to try care work.

HCA, better protection in terms of HR. Better progression, ward support and training. Care home, lots of exploitation of staff. Working often with people who are being subject to debt bondage, not qualified, work dangerous hours and often owe thousands to COS ‘agents’

I’ve a lot of experience of various care homes, 3 relatives ended up in good ones for a total of over 12 years - and by comparison for myself just a 3 week stay in hospital 2 years ago, but if it were my dd or Gdd I’d say go for the NHS HCA role.

Presumably an HCA will helping to care for all sorts and ages of patients, whereas in a care home it’s very likely to be just the elderly - more or less decrepit or demented.

And I dare say that for a suitable HCA there would be the opportunity to progress later to registered nurse training, if she wanted that when she’s a bit older.

I'd agree with the above as a nurse who worked for the nhs but regularly visited care homes /assessed them I told dc not to even think about applying to one.
Dc1 got a job as a support worker on a ward, ward sister saw potential and put them forward to do nurse associate training (got paid a band 3 for 2 years, worked full time with one day a week in uni). Now working as an na at band 4 and waiting to see what the government will do before looking at applying for top up to nurse. Dc is still only 20. There's much more progression/choice within the nhs (it's not always great to work for but better than private care).

Care homes are invariably miserable places and the work is nothing but hard slog. They're usually understaffed, you don't have time to do anything properly and some of the staff are brutal in terms of how they conduct themselves. It's not for a youngster unless they're doing it short term for some experience and they're mentally quite tough.

I worked in a care home for just over a year, and this was a fairly nice well rated home. I did so to get experience before embarking on a nursing degree, and I ended up being so put off that I changed career plans. It was relentless, and soul destroying. We were always under staffed, and I used to feel physically sick driving home after a long day shift as I was so tired. The Matron was kindly and encouraging, but the other care staff were mainly (and I hate saying this) toxic older women who were more interested in bitching about each other than actual caring. It was just like being back at school again and avoiding the bullies. I was in my early 40s at the time, and labelled a "stuck up bitch" as it was a stepping stone for me.... I would never encourage someone young to work in one, they'd be like food for the lions. I would encourage someone young into the NHS, for pension, pay and HR protection.

How about HCA in a GP surgery?
Opportunity to train as a nursing associate, regular hours, no nights, weekends and bank holidays off, no personal care.
Vaccinations, BP’s, dressings, blood tests, ECGs etc

An NHS hospital all the way. There are far more opportunities to learn and progress. Many HCA go on to train as nurses. A care home is a really hard job. It’s a slog, day in day out.

NHS for sure for the terms & conditions and opportunities for progression.
However, they wouldn’t recruit a 17yr old and we can have 50 applications for 1 HCA job so usually only interview those with some care experience and preferably their Care Certificate so experience outside the NHS would be a useful start.

Care homes are chock full of exploitation.

Siick leavd generally just SSP

poor career progression

Mucu better off in the NHS

Hca all the way. Actual career prospects. Won’t get exploited.

however I imagine much more competitive to get into and almost impossible with no experience. Might be worth considering doing care home work for for a while to get it on the cv.

HCA I’m a hospital would have more training and likely routes for development.

“Decrepit or demented”

Nice

My DS worked as a care assistant in a home for people with PMLD and absolutely loved it. The staff and people who lived there were lovely.

He's now a HCA on a hospital ward and strongly dislikes it. He doesn't enjoy the environment with the other staff, feels his job isn't valued, and is paid lower than he was in the care home.

He's actively looking for another care home job.

Worked in a care home for ten years. 12 hour nights. I think i just got unlucky, the residents were lovely. However, management were horrific and it was run for the benefit of them and their "faves".

i always wanted to be a nurse, and after being in hospital myself, and telling the staff nurse all i was responsible for, including administering medications, including controlled drugs.,
she was shocked, HCA staff cannot admistmer medication on the ward? Is that still the case? I saw so many bad things, it stayed with me for a very long time.

I think describing older people as decrepit is actually disgusting

As a pp did

Well, I’m sorry, but ‘decrepit’ and/or demented are the reasons most people move to care homes. You don’t find many perfectly fit and mobile, perfectly with-it 80-odd year olds in care homes.
At least that’s my experience of so many visits to my DM, my FIL, and an aunt, over at least12 years.

One day we will all be decrepit....

Think there’s more appropriate words to use…

Yes, I should have said ‘very frail’ which would have sounded kinder.

HCAs are better paid, have sick pay (which many care home don’t offer) and have a better pension. there is also often the opportunity to learn and develop further clinical skills.

however, an acute hospital ward is a more difficult environment to work in. You don’t get to know your patients and build rapports in the way you would with residents in a care home and there won’t be any of the fun holistic activities you’d get to support people to engage in on a hospital ward but there would be in a care home.

I would say that a good shout would be to work in a community hospital. Less stressful and more time for rapport building and activities but the benefits of working for the nhs rather than a private care provider.

I've worked in both. The care home was horrendous. I'd definitely go for the hospital job.

HCA in a private hospital. Get more responsibility than in the NHS and the same benefits including career progression but better working conditions.

He could maybe try another ward? It seems unusual that he was better paid in his previous role. Night rate and Sunday pay is double time. Most people don't get that. Or perhaps he can do bank to see what other areas are like?

@Hellofreshh he just really loves working with people with PMLD. He's looking at training to be an LD nurse after his degree.