THE CAREGIVING ROLE:
A MEANINGFUL QUALITY OF LIFE
By Robert Goodman
What is it like to be a Caregiver? Your clients and their loved ones probably never expected to be caring for a person who is sick or has a disability. As professional caregivers we need to ensure meaningful quality of life for our clients, the care recipient, and ourselves. Just as the care recipient has special needs, so does the professional. Job security with appropriate pay and benefits contribute to a positive professional self image. People who are appropriately compensated and trained are better workers.
Respect by clients is another aspect of this issue. Too often people who need our services do not realize that we are trying to help them do what is necessary to help them to maintain or achieve independence. It is our responsibility to help our clients understand our roles and empower them to be good consumers of our services.
Human service professionals must also serve as advocates for our clients. We must work together (with our clients) to get public and private agencies to be more responsive to the needs and concerns of people who need our services. The caregiver and care recipient need to work with each other in a respectful relationship. The care recipient and their families need to understand the role of the professional intruding into their lives.
How do we accomplish this goal? First, we must advocate for better conditions for ourselves and our clients. Secondly, schools need to teach human service workers how to effectively work with people who have special needs. Agencies need to reinforce this training with in-services and ongoing supervision. Workers and clients need to learn to work with people of different cultures. Thirdly, the government needs to be responsive to the concerns of people who have special needs or may be homebound, and their caregivers. This includes providing better benefits and not cutting home care and other human services.
May is “Older Americans Month”.
The Theme this year is “CAREGIVING”. As we reflect on the role of the professional caregiver, this month and in the future, let us appreciate the stress and abilities of all those involved in caregiving.
358 words and 39 lines in 11 point type.