Job hunting post care- Don't sell yourselves short

[Henrietta]

Don't underestimate the skills you have as a carer.
Here are a few random thoughts mostly from my own point of view caring for an elderly person with mulitple conditions but I am sure many of you can add to the list.- Perhaps that illustrates yet another skill- teamwork



Co-ordinating skills with surgery, hospitals, care agencies, and all other involved health care professionals.
Arranging and diarying appointments, administering and recording medication, monitoring delivery and expiry of medications,
Time management skills, - critical time for medication, co ordinating care visits for meal times/commode, shopping when carers are available, use of internet for shopping so IT skills
Communication skills with caree –sight/hearing/cognition problems and all healthcare professionals at every level from carer to consultant. Letters and medical reports, diaries maintained, computer notes maintained. Letter writing skills-and a big one for some jobs- Listening skills
Financial skills – bank reconciliation, payment of care invoices and sorting out discrepancies, handling POA and maintaining records of daily living expenses.
Responsibilities- contacting and chasing Drs/paramedics when required, medications, POA,
Attending meetings and taking minutes- CHC, Care Agency, Hospital discharge
Empathy /Compassion/Humanising skills
Practical skills- meal preparation, cleaning, shopping, washing, ironing
Personal care skills- dealing with incontinents issues, applying dressings/ creams, assisting with bathing and encouraging mobility
Research- looking into the conditions you are dealing with – resources used- internet, library, professional bodies, downloads, agencies, charities
Calm under pressure- dealing with stressful events, thinking clearly and remaining focused on improving the outcome.
Patience- dealing with dementia/mental health conditions etc for example
Organising healthy foods/drinks for caree
Social- carers support events, coffee mornings, outings with caree
What have you learnt about yourself in this role as carer?
How have you personally grown from the experience?

[jenny lucas]

Wow, all those skills should be worth a fortune!!!!


(And in a well run world, they WOULD be, sigh.)

(But it's good to see it spelt out just what caring teaches you....)

[Anne001]

Wow, a very good list, Henrietta. Yes, to all of the above, plus:

Decision-making - deciding when / if to call an ambulance, when to argue and when to let it go, when to throw in the towel and decide residential care is required.

Once you have made those decisions, any paid work-related decisions are easy!

[Colin_17031]

The secret is not to "argue". But to discuss and negotiate.

Social workers and psychiatrists tend to offer something, but when the client or nearest relative. Disagrees with them, they get all huffy. And say "in that case you are on your own"

[MrsAverage]

Brilliant post Henrietta

You've got the job, whatever it is

[Jess_1612]

I agree - brill post!

I worry sometimes about my lack luster CV for the past few years. I have study on there, but not much work (only some voluntary stuff). I am applying for a part time PhD (to start 2018) and while they proriticise your previous study - they look carefully at your work history too. This post has reassured me a bit that I should be more forthcoming about what caring involves and what it teaches you.

[Dee]

Jess: I've done loads of voluntary work over the past few years, in between and around the fixed term contracts which have been my main source of income since my caring duties ended when my Dad passed away in 2008. Like you, I used to describe it as "only" voluntary work, but more recently I have started to think about it differently and to "sell" it much more on my CV. I help out and have received training at my local Citizens Advice (I got involved because they helped me and Dad with a problem concerning Council Tax and I wanted to give something back). The CAB I help out at is to a very great extent reliant on volunteers to provide a regular service to an ever-increasing number of clients. To put it bluntly, they would have to reduce their hours and services without the volunteer input and, worse case scenario, could go under completely. The CAB volunteers, and those people who volunteer for other charities and community organisations are just as vital to their continuation as the paid staff, and in this age of austerity, that situation is only going to intensify. When you think about it, "only volunteering" is a totally nonsensical expression and should, IMHO, be banned from CVs and job applications!