If you are providing basic care to a person who has been diagnosed with a chronic condition you are a
caregiver. A chronic condition is described as an illness that lasts a long time or doesn't go away at all. Chronic illnesses
can be cancer, multiple sclerosis, dementia, stroke, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
Care giving
requires a lot of your time, patience and strength. As a caregiver, you have to do for the person what they can no longer
do for themselves.
There are many responsibilities a caregiver has that go far beyond just cooking and
cleaning. They are:
• Bathing - When a person is no longer able to properly care for and maintain
their hygiene it is up to the caregiver to take over this responsibility of bathing and personal hygiene.
•
Turning him or her in bed - Once the person you are caring for has become bedridden you have reposition them in order to relieve
the pressure on their body's pressure points so they don't end up with bed sores. Bed sores are extremely painful
and if not tended to can deteriorate the skin down to the bone. So changing their position multiple times a day is very important.
• Feeding - Again, once the person you are caring for has reached a certain level of "deterioration"
they will no longer be able to do the simple things anymore like feeding themselves. Also, you will have to alter the textures
of the foods. It is not uncommon for those with chronic conditions to have to eat pureed foods because their reflex to swallow
has slowed causing them to choke on more solid foods.
• Lifting - Whether or not the person you
are caring for is completely bedridden or not you will still have to do some kind of lifting. It may be to transfer them from
a stationary chair to a wheelchair, their wheelchair to the toilet or wheelchair to vehicle. Any type of lifting is hard on
your body. There are ways to transfer a person to minimize the stress on your body. If you are caring for a person that needs
transferring, get yourself a transfer belt and have a health care professional show you how to use it and how to transfer
safely.
• Giving Medicine - Most often chronic illnesses require multiple medications that need
to be given at varying times throughout the day. Some may need to be given with food, some with out, in the morning, or at
bedtime. It is your responsibility as the caregiver to ensure you are giving the proper medications at the proper times.
• Emotional Support - When a person loses the things they are used to doing, simple daily activities
like walking, eating, brushing their teeth, combing their hair, and going to the bathroom on their own, it is emotionally
draining for them. As a caregiver you have to be able to offer or provide them the emotional support they need.
Before
you agree to bring any family member into your home it is important that you know everything that is involved in being a caregiver.
Talk to a healthcare professional and the doctor of the person you will be caring for. The responsibility at times can be
overwhelming so you have to make sure you are up to the task.
Maria Sandella was the primary caregiver for her grandmother for 2 years until her
passing. She also worked summers in a long-term care facility while attending college. She now works as an Application Specialist
for IntercomsOnline.com, which provides wireless intercom systems that caregivers use for communications with the elderly
and disabled. For more information about a caregiver intercom system go to http://IntercomsOnline.com
Many people are drawn to healthcare jobs. You may have a favorable impression of healthcare careers because of an experience with a doctor, dentist or nurse that went beyond the call of duty and was inspiring to your personal
lives. It could be that they excelled in the sciences in high school and wanted to find a career that would allow them to
focus on those aspects with health care training and education. Those people who have healthcare jobs often have a common trait: they like to work with and help people. If this describes you, you might be searching for health
care training and education to help you pursue your dream of working in a health care profession. One convenient way to do
that is to take online training. With the convenience offered by Internet classes, you can receive a quality education at
your pace and on your preferred schedule.
There are a wide variety of healthcare careers from which you can choose
your favorite. A Patient Care Technician is one that appeals to many. This is a diploma program offered through accredited
colleges, and the training you will receive will allow you to perform tasks related to hematology, phlebotomy and urinalysis.
You will also be trained in the skills necessary to work in a hospital, extended care facility, a nursing home, or to participate
in a home health care team.
Patients who have certain diseases or injuries can benefit from physical therapy. You might choose to begin
a career as a Physical Therapist Assistant. You will help improve mobility, relieve pain, and restore function to patients under the supervision of a licensed
Physical Therapist. This is a program that can be completed in two years and will result in an Associate's degree.
If you enjoy working with people and computers, then look into a degree in Health Information Technology. You will put your computer skills to work in compiling and managing health information databases. Patient safety is paramount in the profession, and part of this job is to ensure that a patient's information and privacy are recorded
accurately and held in a secure manner. People in this career can work in a wide variety of venues, including hospitals, insurance
and managed care organizations, and more.
A related health care career can be a perfect fit if you love animals.
You might choose a career path as a Veterinary Technician. You will work under a Veterinarian's supervision to perform
medical tests, treat and diagnose medical conditions in animals. You will received training on anatomy and physiology of domestic
animals, animal nutrition, animal nursing and large animal care, diagnostic imaging, and training in common lab procedures.
There are a wide-ranging number of choices in healthcare jobs for which you can train utilizing the ease and convenience
of online courses from accredited colleges and universities.
