What do support workers do at night?

[MiMiPies]

Hi all,

I start a registered nurses course next year so thought I'd apply for jobs like support works and HCA so I can gain some experience before starting as I have a background in office work.

I have a job interview for a night support worker and it's 12-6am and you drive from home to home providing care but I wondered what sort of things would you do during the night or is it just very similar to daytime?

Thanks!

What type of patient ?
elderly ? Mental health disorders?

Depends on the age group. If you're supporting a young adult you might be going out on a Friday night to the pub if it's an elderly person with dementia probably doing the bedtime routine.

@MiMiPies It'll be to do over night pop in toileting calls at those hours with potentially the odd assisting to bed.

The job description says supporting the elderly and vulnerable within their own homes so I don't know if it's just elderly or younger vulnerable people.

I have my interview next week so I was going to ask for more info but I was just wondering generally but appreciate with limited information it may be harder to advise.

I've worked as a support worker in a children's home for kids with special needs before. Night shifts involved checking on the kids, doing laundry, updating care plans and risk assessments, cleaning. A fair few people were also studying for courses so would bring their coursework in. It was fairly rare that the kids woke up.

Also worked in a care home before doing my nurse training, and night shifts were similar here.

I never worked in the community as a carer as heard too many bad things, things like 15 minute call slots where you would be expected to sit a client on the commode while washing them and giving them breakfast at the same time, not for me.

But I imagine it would involve things such as helping people to the toilet, repositioning people in bed so they don't get pressure ulcers, checking in on people.

I didn't realise there were jobs were you travelled from house to house in the night, I would have thought most overnight care would be from sleep in carers, but obviously not. Probably too expensive.

I didn't realise they did it either during the night. My mum has carers and I know what they do but I was just wondering how much different night time care would be.

If I'm successful hopefully I'll find out. It's very different to anything I've done before.

Putting to bed, Pad changes, catheter care, helping put on a Cpap machine, medication, stats/turning, sometimes helping the sleep in carer to hoist etc. You might be there longer as waking night support.