Essential Things to Know about Care Field and Care Assistants in the Health Sector

Nov 17, 2018
Paul Johnson

Just like every other career paths in the health sector, care is an excellent field to work. And care assistants are essential in your organization to boost your pipeline. Care assistants are at the forefront of care delivery and providing supports to individuals with one or two challenges in everyday life.

There are numerous opportunities in the field because everyday people want to improve their standards of living. One important thing to note is that there are different roles in the health sector, and every day comes with its peculiarity for a care assistant.

Care like Nursing is a highly demanding field. It, however, comes with high rewarding paychecks and a sense of fulfillment that comes with making a difference in people’s lives.

Care assistants provide care for the disabled, elderly, individuals with learning disabilities, and patients with long-term illness. Care is an essential ingredient for recovery from sickness- the same way it is a soulful ingredient for individuals with one disability or the other. It is concerned with supporting treatment to speed-up recovery and their complete well-being.

Care assistants serve as the closest buddies to sick individuals. They are the main point of interaction with the patients and their families. Care assistants don’t work in isolation.

They play a crucial role by working with a team of other qualified medical personnel like doctors, therapists, and social workers. They equally attend to their patient’s emotional stability and medical needs all through their recuperation period.

Functions of Care Assistants in the UK and the other EU Member States

In the UK and most EU member states, the primary duties and responsibilities of the Care Assistant are mostly similar to everywhere else. Their services consist of; monitoring and measuring patients’ vital signs, providing cleaning, washing, preparing, and serving meals. They are also known for supporting other health professionals by ensuring safety, quality, and hygiene techniques.

Care assistants often only provide ‘basic care’ to patients in the UK and other EU countries. Here is a breakdown of the day-to-day roles of a Care Assistant:

  • Supervising a team of care assistants
  • Writing care plans
  • Developing and leading activities for service users
  • Keeping families up to date about their relative’s progress
  • Training and mentoring new staff
  • Attending team meetings with service managers
  • Monitoring patients’ vital signs, like blood pressure and heart rate
  • Monitoring and recording patients’ sugar level, temperature, and weight.
  • Completing patient medication records
  • Providing emergency cover

Some other functions of care Assistants might include:

  • surveillance of the sick
  • preventative care measures
  • documentation of care measures
  • cleaning and disinfection of devices
  • the undertaking of basic care methods
  • the pursuit of basic mobilization methods
  • personal hygiene and nutrition
  • taking into account factors such as religion, culture, age, gender, habits, living conditions and the environment of the patient

In the UK and other EU countries, the environment where care assistants majorly function revolves around a client’s home, a private hospital, the NHS, or adult care home. The care field is only meant for compassionate, friendly, and accommodating individuals who are ready to make a substantial difference in people’s lives.