Have you completed your general education? Can you communicate skillfully? Are you willing to help people? If you have answered ‘yes’ to all these questions, then you are an excellent candidate for care support work.
What is care support work?
Care support is one of the most crucial aspects of care in a health facility. Duties that come with the position can range from offering emotional and practical support to patients, to assisting qualified nurses carry out medical procedures.
Patient care roles are pivotal in the healthcare system because caregivers tend to provide the closest point of contact with patients. Doctors can attend to patients in an entire ward and may not be able to focus on individual patients at all times. That is where support workers step in.
How is care support work different from health assistant work?
While there is a difference between the two, these terms are not completely unrelated.
Health assistants are more involved in the personal care of patients by helping them with activities such as eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, meal preparation, and any other activity that promotes patient dignity and independence.
A support worker is more inclined to work with patients with challenging behaviours such as mental illnesses and learning and eating disorders. A care support giver can take care of the personal needs of patients as well as offer companionship, guidance, encouragement, and supervision.
Other duties of a support worker include supporting patients to learn new skills and pursue their hobbies and understanding and adapting to a patient’s communication needs.
Why Pursue a Course in Care Support Work?
Why would you want to become a care support worker? Below are 5 reasons why you should consider it:
- You gain relevant skills that help you move up the career ladder
If you are focused on having a career in nursing, taking some online mandatory training for care staff is recommended.
Care support gives you a strong ground for nursing work, enabling you to train faster as you will be building on your skills.
- It is among the most fulfilling jobs
If you have a heart for people and have been looking for a way to change lives, care support work will help you achieve that.
You will be directly involved in transforming patients’ lives through personal and emotional care. Seeing people make progress, recover, and pursue their dreams can be very fulfilling.
- You can say goodbye to boring work environments
No day is the same when you are doing support work. You will meet all manner of people and work with professionals in different ranks. Every day is a learning opportunity.
- The pay is attractive
Care support workers earn an average of £17000 a year. The pay is higher if you are working out of normal hours such as weekends, overtime, and some shifts.
Final Words
Care work in the health care sector is extremely lucrative. Many patients require specialized care and professionals need assistants to help them carry out their duties efficiently. Why not consider taking a care support course today?