HealthBridge's In-Home Care Blog

We all know that a caregiver must be patient, compassionate, relatable, affable, a good listener, reliable, etc.   While this is a good list (in fact, essential), it is not really newsworthy. A caregiver who embodies all of those attributes is probably a good caregiver, but there are a few essential things that they must also posses to make them great. 

Over 100 prospective caregivers apply to HealthBridge each week.  Over the years, we've refined our process to dig deep and find the best of the best.  So, here are the things that we look for that separate the good caregivers from the great.  

1. Initiative.  Good caregivers do the tasks assigned to them proficiently and efficiently.  Great caregivers understand the scope of care needed and think creatively about how they can help.  They take initiative for the betterment of their client. 
   
2. Eloquence.  Good caregivers are excellent listeners.  Great caregivers engage their clients in stimulating conversation.  They communicate effectively to the client and family, accurately conveying the events of the day as well as any pertinent health information.
3. Commitment to Career.  Excellent caregivers have a calling to care for seniors.  This is what they do because they're passionate about it, because they love seniors and because they're good at it.  For great caregivers, senior care is most definitely a career.
4. Bedside Manner & Human Contact.  Great caregivers know that human contact is an essential element in care and healing.  Seniors want to develop a relationship with their caregiver - not become friends on facebook.
5. Customer Service Focus. The more I think about it, this may be the most important one.  In healthcare, like all other industries, the customer must always come first.  Great caregivers implicitly understand this.  They consider what's best for the client when making every decision.  With this as their focus, they always succeed.