How to Get a Job as a Personal Care Aide
Detailed-oriented workers with physical stamina and strong interpersonal and time-management skills are the most likely to succeed as personal care aides. Due to low-paying salaries, personal care agencies see fairly high turnover. “A lot of agencies are hiring all the time,” Gurgone says. “So, it’s good to call an agency and see if they are hiring and see if they offer an initial training for workers.”
What is the Job Like?
Personal care aides must be as skilled in conversation as they are with cooking. They are also trained in helping chronically ill clients combat their conditions. If someone comes out of the hospital with congestive heart failure or a stroke, aides are trained to monitor their condition and report it to the agencies they work for, Gurgone says. Aides, she says, are like the gatekeepers of the healthcare system. Monitoring client dietary restrictions and needs is crucial. “They can help educate the consumers to take the right steps to keep themselves well,” she adds. Personal care aides also run a higher-than-average risk of experiencing work-related injuries (particularly back ailments) and illnesses, given that they lift sick clients in and out of beds and baths several times a day.
