What is a carer for the elderly?
A carer for the elderly, or a healthcare assistant, is somebody who looks after elderly people in either their home or in a nursing home/day centre. A carer for the elderly has usually completed a Care Assistant course before taking up this position, in order to provide the quality care needed. A carer provides the people in their care with assistance in their daily lives, in order to allow them to live with their dignity and independence.
What are Care Skills?
Care Skills can be boiled down to equipping you with the knowledge, skill and competence to understand the personal care needs of someone in your care; learn practical skills in the area of individual personal care and needs, and to maintain a safe, healthy and hygienic environment. A Care Skills course aims to provide you with the above in order to gain employment in caring.
What is Care of the Older Person?
Care of the Older Person relates to and allows you to understand and identify the appropriate care practices that meet the needs of the older people on your care. These needs can relate to helping people with certain impairments and ailments. The purpose of caring for an older person is to provide them with comfort, empowerment, dignity, independence and most importantly respect when they are at their most vulnerable.
What qualifications do I need to be a carer?
In order to be a carer, you will need, at the minimum a qualification in Care Skills and Care of the Older Person. This is a QQI Level 5 Minor award, and will allow you to learn and understand the necessary skills for caring for elderly and sick people, in both a home care setting, day care setting or nursing homes. If after completing a qualification in Care Skills and Care of the Older Person, you are looking to upskill, you can complete a QQI Level 5 Major Award in Healthcare. Obtaining this major award will let you gain the skills needed to work in nursing homes, day centres and hospitals.