What are a caregiver’s job duties?

Senior caregivers provide many, many services to seniors. Anyone entering the senior care industry quickly learns there are a wide variety of caregiver jobs and caregiver job duties. Sometimes it can be a surprise to learn that professional caregivers must meet certain certification standards by taking training courses meeting state requirements. Then the caregiver must pass a competency test to verify their knowledge.

Caregiver job duties include the following:

• Assisting with Activities of Daily Living (often called “ADL’s – see, senior care has hip abbreviations too. Definition of ADL = basic activities you do each day, such as getting up and showering, getting dressed, eating your meals, taking your medications, scheduling appointments, doing laundry, grabbing your mail….you get the idea – anything that can be difficult to do when you have health and mobility issues that limit your capabilities.
• Personal Care: bathing and toileting assistance
• Transfer and Mobility Assistance
• Meal Preparation and Assistance
• ADL assistant with bathing, dressing and grooming
• Medication Reminders
• Appointment Scheduling
• Errands
• Companionship
• Maintaining Daily Care Notes
• Specific tasks for Medical Conditions
• Engaging in Physical and Mental Activities

Caregivers may begin caregiver training in the basic skills with an online course and continue learning by reading books and watching movies to understand how caregiving can be a unique journey for everyone.