Senior caregivers assist seniors with either companion caregiving or hands-on care as Certified Nursing Aides. Positions are available for part-time, full-time and live-in caregivers with senior home care agencies nationwide. There are more than 5,000 senior home care agencies today that did not exist just ten years ago. This is because seniors are living longer, while also needing some care assistance and prefer to live in their own homes.
Many people think that you must be a trained nurse in order to be a caregiver and this is untrue. Professional senior caregiving companies provide training for their caregivers. In addition, some states, such as Illinois, have passed laws to require licensed senior home care agencies to provide a minimum level of training. In Illinois, 8 hours of training are required. You may obtain a Certified Caregiver training certificate after completing 10-hours of online training which will meet the Illinois requirement.
Seniors with memory loss may only require a companion caregiver to assist them to remember appointments, take medications on time and eat nutritious meals. Anyone who can demonstrate a caring personality and show dependability, will be qualified for these companion caregiving positions.
As there is a need for more senior caregivers, if you are looking for a job, you may want to consider entering the health care industry as there will continue to be employment opportunities. You can adapt your skills to caregiving by creating an effective resume.
Tips for Writing a Caregiver Resume
- Share Information About Volunteer Positions (Church? Nursing Home? Memory Walk?)
- Include Personal Reasons Sparking Interest To Be Caregiver in Objective
- Demonstrate Consistent Employment (Shows Dependability)
- Include Training
Many volunteer opportunities exist for working with seniors and supporting senior programs, such as the Memory Walk to raise money for Alzheimer’s disease, Meals on Wheels, delivering meals to seniors in cities nationwide and senior centers. Nursing homes also will usually accept volunteers to assist with meals and activities and also welcome anyone who will conduct an activity for them. If you play a musical instrument or have another skill you can teach or demonstrate, you will be welcomed by the activity director at most nursing homes and senior living communities.
Caregiver training can be obtained online, through an online caregiver training course which you take at your own pace. You may also want to obtain training in C.P.R. and the Red Cross offers this training in most cities. By showing you are motivated to learn more, you may include this on your resume to stand out from the crowd.
Senior caregiving delivers fulfillment beyond a paycheck and as all of us hope to live to be a senior, you will also learn about the wisdom that comes with aging. Many career paths exist in senior caregiving, from becoming a Registered Nurse to a Geriatric Care Manager to an Eldercare Attorney and one of the best ways to find out if you like this industry is to begin working as a senior caregiver. Build a resume that shows you care and you will be on your way to employment in senior care. caregiver jobs near me