To mark the end of National Carers Week here in Ireland, a week when family carers all over the country are celebreated, we thought we would share how some of our professional carers at Comfort Keepers came to this profession from a caring background.
For many people, they don’t necessarily plan to become a carer. A parent may require a little assistance on a daily basis and this increases over months until the number of hours become substantial. The adult child becomes the main carer and discovers they have a natural ability to be caring, to help with personal care, to listen, to be empathetic, to enjoy sitting and chatting, to be patient. His / her care for the parents may be supplemented with help from a professional carer, either for reasons of providing respite or because the adult child is working or is busy with young children. They see the professional carer at work and wonder if they could do it.
The feelings of bereavement for carers are intensified as they can feel that their purpose is gone. Having spent months or years caring for a parent, their passing away means that not only is there a void in the adult child’s life but their work as a carer is over. Some will return to their previous employment, some will take up new hobbies and go on trips abroad and some will wonder about a new career. Professional caring is a profession, it requires qualifications and it requires specialist skills. At Comfort Keepers, we permit carers to do all or most of their FETAC training (if not completed already) while working with us and we subsidise up to 80% of the cost of the training too.
Professional caring is a profession, it requires qualifications and it requires specialist skills. At Comfort Keepers, we permit carers to do all or most of their QQI Level 3 training (if not completed already) while working with us and we subsidise up to 80% of the cost of the training too. Professional home caring means that you are caring for a number of clients in their own homes. Carers can work full-time or part-time. Our carers usually see their clients for one hour each per day on the days they are working. The work is very similar to family caring – spending time chatting, delivering personal care, monitoring their health, reminding them to take medication, preparing a meal, helping them to do the crossword and yes, the hour flies for the client and it will fly for you too.
Home Care Vacancies
Given the demand for the Comfort Keepers Home Care services at the moment, we currently have many vacancies in our seventeen offices around the country. If you would like to become a professional home carer, we would be delighted to hear from you. You will find more information and can apply here.
