Different Types of Caregivers
When someone brings up the word “caregiver,” what comes to your mind? Do you think of a professional who’s by a senior's side 24/7? Someone who can only deal with the physical things, like washing, medicine and cooking? Someone who’s hands-on with a person with disabilities? Or someone who provides care for an aging loved one?
The truth is, there are so many different types of caregivers and they don’t all fall in line with what movies make them out to be. Below, we’ll delve into the different types, so you can be sure to make an informed decision for you or your loved one’s future.
Family Caregiver
An individual navigating the challenges of an aging loved one is considered a family caregiver. They could be a spouse, parent, friend or another person they have a significant relationship with. Assistance from a family caregiver can range from taking the person to and from doctor's appointments, providing care in the home, performing basic household duties and more.
Professional Caregiver
Caregiving in the professional capacity are individuals who are hired to provide care for a specific person, and they can provide medical or non-medical care. Their hope is to assist someone enough that they can still live as independently as possible. There are two main areas they may work in: assisted living or skilled nursing facilities.
Assisted Living Community
Assisted living isn’t typically as continual as skilled nursing (in the sense of 24/7 medical care and support). There isn’t a standard model—they’re all different in size, types of services and more. For example, there may be an assisted living facility that’s specifically to support adults with I/DD, and what the caregivers do there will be different than what caregivers do at a facility for residents with dementia.
Skilled Nursing Facility
Whether they are short-term or long-term caregivers, skilled nursing workers provide daily medical needs and help those who require significant assistance.
Independent Caregiver
Now, an independent caregiver is someone who doesn’t work at the above places or for an agency but still provides a lot of the same support. Typically, they're home health caregivers and employed directly by the family.
Private Duty Caregiver
A private duty caregiver is someone that can do the medical and nursing care, but they can also provide much more. They can help pay bills, drive individuals to places and more. Basically, their main goal is to provide whatever support the person and their family needs. Again, the idea is to help that person remain independent within their home.
These can be independent caregivers, or they can work for third-party agencies.
Volunteer Caregiver
The last type of caregiver we’ll discuss is that of volunteer caregivers. As it sounds, they don't necessarily get paid and their support is not typically in the medical capacity. They provide companionship, supervision when necessary, and simply help their community!
As you can see, there’s more to the world of caregiving than meets the eye.
If you find yourself in any of these caregiving roles and are looking for additional resources to help you in your journey, click here for free access to The Essential Caregiver Toolkit and join our supportive community of Caregivers for Seniors in Texas!