As nursing homes become a place where no one wants to send their loved ones, home health care workers have come to save the day. RN’s, CNA’s, etc., are leaving their hospital or nursing home jobs to work within the homes with the elderly. They feel it is a more important job, compassionate than working in a nursing home. But what would you expect a typical day as a home health care nurse? Well, here is a typical day as a home care worker.
One on One Service
When working within the home, you are working with one family and one, maybe two elderly adults who live there. Rather than trying to remember all the names of your patients, their family, and their special needs, you have only one person to worry about. This makes the job a lot easier, and you actually get to talk and learn about that person.
Elderly adults who have home care workers feel like they have someone on their side, watching them and listening to what they are saying. They don’t have to fear their daily activities like showering, getting dressed, and getting hurt. They have someone there to ensure that they will be fine, and if something does happen, help is only a few steps away. It takes the stress off the elder to enjoy their days rather than live in fear.
Who can Work as a Home Health Care Nurse?
From Home Health Aides to Registered Nurses can work in the homes. A lot of RN’s who have been in the game for quite some time are leaving their hospital jobs to work with elderly adults inside the home. Rather than being responsible for a whole floor, they only need to worry about one. Also, there is a lot more freedom when it comes to scheduling. You have more time in your day, and the hours can be flexible.
Agency Home Health Care Nurses
When working for an agency that works with elders who need assistance at home, you have a flexible schedule, more freedom, less stress, and a whole team of agency workers on your side if something was to go wrong. Plus, the assignments only last a few weeks to a few months, which you get to meet so many families who require your assistance.
Of course, every agency has its policies, like logging conditions, ordering inventory, and ensuring that medication refills are scheduled promptly. Still, it is a lot easier doing that than making sure a whole floor at a hospital is fully stocked.
You also have time to sit, relax, read a book, watch TV with your elder. You don’t have to go chasing the next patient to take their medications. Your only worry for the whole assignment is the client you are working with.
Traveling as a Home Health Care Worker
Traveling is usually normal working for an agency. But that is okay; you get to see new locations, work with families that you wouldn’t typically work with if you were to stay around your hometown, etc. There are many perks when being a traveling home health care worker; competitive pay, housing taken care of, meeting new people, seeing new locations, etc
Assignments can last a few weeks to a few months, so you get to bond with your elder, but usually, the saddest part for every nurse is saying goodbye. You’ve spent all this time with them, and now it is time to go onto the next person who needs your help. But a lot of nurses stay in contact with their elderly adults. They call when they can and keep that loving bond strong over distance.
Conclusion
Working as a home health care nurse is one of the most fulfilling jobs out there today. Not many elders are lucky to have someone to visit them every day, talk to them, make sure that they are happy and comfortable, and fed. So, when they have a home health nurse, they usually feel lucky, loved, and made a new friend.
It doesn’t take much, just some compassionate people who love to connect with anyone who requires their services. If this is you, if you like to help people out, and you want to join the Industry, check out TLC Home Care. They have great assignments, lovely people to work with, and competitive pay.