Home Caregiving Experience

AddisonLawrence03 · Feb 8, 2012

Yeah, I am a pre nursing student and I work as a Homehealth Aide. There are pros and cons. For instance, HHA work can sometimes be inconsistent. I've had patients who conditions got worse and they had to be placed in a nursing home which left me out of work for awhile until the agency found me another patient. And then you have the ones who are not that old & just want a maid & a high class personal chef--they tend to be very ungrateful, rude and a little abusive. I find that the males want gourmet meals that I simply don't know how to cook, ham, turkey, greens, sweet potatoe pie type of meals. I can't do that! I prefer elderly or diabled patients who really need help, because I find them to be easier to work with and much more grateful.

HandsfromtheHeart · Feb 8, 2012

Thanks for responding! Did you work for a franchise or independently owned? I think an independently owned agency would allow caregivers more options and more clients.

AddisonLawrence03 · Feb 8, 2012

I'm not sure, although I am leaning towards it being independently owned.

jobhunting, ASN, RN · Feb 11, 2012

I worked as a caregiver for the elderly long before I even considered nursing. At times I was hired directly by the family, and other times I was hired through agencies. Just curious, are you working as one? It gave me the "practice" with being exposed to different health issues and even with client interaction and communication. The clients I had varied from being very sweet to those who were rude and demanding. It was a great experience though, and you can't help but feel attached to some of them.

HandsfromtheHeart · Feb 11, 2012

I am not a caregiver myself but I work for a homecare agency. We are trying to be different by truly making an agency dedicated as much to the caregiver as the client. I'm trying to get a feel for how many RN's started out as caregivers and if it was a worthwhile experience. With that info, I can better equip our caregivers and prospective caregivers.

Thats great, though, that you had such a positive experience. I would think it is a great stepping stone to becoming an RN and would provide good insights for what's to come. I've done plenty of service and volunteer work over the years (including having two years in the Middle East with humanitarian aid). There is nothing that compares to the joy of helping someone who needs it. It can be tiring and thankless but in the end, its always worthwhile.

Thanks for sharing!

KateRN1 · Feb 11, 2012

I am an RN now but started my career many years ago as a CNA and home health aide. I did both CNA and non-medical care but always through Medicare-certified agencies. The non-medical care was through the "private duty" side or Title XIX or XX funding. I found it very challenging and worthwhile no matter what. Sure, I had some patients/clients with a ridiculous sense of entitlement, but I also had some who were only able to stay home because of the help that I provided them. It was an awesome experience for me to help quadraplegics stay in their own homes rather than have to live in a nursing home. Or to cook meals that were pleasing to an 80+ year old woman who had been diagnosed with failure to thrive and hadn't eaten a decent meal in months. My entire nursing career has been dedicated to home care in some fashion or another.

PM me if you can, or email me at my user name +hotmail dot com if you'd like more information.