Over the years, there have been a growing need for nursing home caregivers, and caregivers in general. This is because the contemporary lifestyle of people have made it harder for them to personally care for their elderly or aging loved ones.

Here in the Philippines, there are many nursing homes as well as a variety of other facilities such as adult daycare and assisted living facilities. All these, though they may offer differences in terms of how they manage care for the elderly, they still require caregivers. And the caregivers must provide adequate care to ensure the safety, health, and well-being of their charge.

Here are 5 traits that you should look for in a nursing home caregiver, or any caregiver that will look after your elderly.

5 Traits Every Nursing Home Caregiver Should Have

1. Willing to just be there. A nursing home caregiver must be willing to just sit there and touch the elder person’s hand, because sometimes, that’s all they really need. They should be willing to just be there and sit still, because sometimes, they’re not supposed to fix everything immediately. Sometimes, their presence is all it takes: listening, smiling, paying attention and being there.

2. Intuitive and pays attention. Elderly people will have a wide range of disorders and discomforts, and it’s up to you to watch out for any sign of trouble. The doctor may not be there all the time, so it’s up to you to learn about your patient’s condition and what you need to watch out for in cases of emergency or just to relieve your patient. For example, you have to be vigilant about your patient’s breathing, skin complexion, or how much food he or she is eating. You also have to be intuitive of what needs to be done or what you should do to prevent medical emergencies.

3. Flexible. Taking care of an elderly can be challenging and your days won’t be the same each time. Therefore, you have to be flexible. If there are times when the next shift is falling behind, you should be willing to adjust accordingly, because your patient’s health, safety, and security comes first.

4. Open for anything. Get out of your own limitations and put your ego out the door the moment you become a nursing home caregiver. There are situations and circumstances that are out of your control, and with elderly, there are things that you have to adjust to or let go. Your elderly is suffering through a range of changes due to their age and conditions, so you have to be open for whatever happens and don’t take things personally.

5. Well-balanced. A nursing home caregiver should know how to compartmentalize. Taking care of an elderly has its share of challenges, and if you put your personal issues on the job, you’re bound to take things out on your job–and this is never good. A good nursing home caregiver should never bring their personal problems and drama to their job. Furthermore, if they are dumping their personal problems on their charge, they’re also bringing more unnecessary emotional burden that isn’t going to be helpful for their charge.

At Blessed Home, our caregivers are well-trained and we put emphasis on applying Filipino values into what we do, such as hospitality, warmth, team work, sense of family, and respecting for the elderly. We strive to make our facility a place that they can consider as their second home. For inquiries, call or text us at 09178560623.