Congratulations on starting your new role with Firstpoint Homecare. Being a carer is an extremely rewarding career and we want to provide you with some top tips for your first shift.
Your role will be filled with many different tasks and duties, you will need to ensure that you are comfortable throughout the day. Whether you are out shopping, doing housekeeping or helping bath and dress, you will likely spend a lot of the day on your feet.
Consider the role you are doing, or whether you want to take some different pairs of shoes, maybe more durable ones for when out and about that allow your feet to breath and maybe a softer but durable pair for when in the house. If you are helping somebody with mobility you want to make sure that your shoes can slip/move as this could potentially be critical. If you would like some more advice on this, please speak to us today.
You want to be calm and ready for your first shift and not rushing around 30 minutes before you leave the house. Consider the length of your shift and what food you may want to take for the day, if you are staying overnight or a live-in carer you will need to pack a bag with all of the stuff you will need such as fresh clothes, overnight wear, and toiletries to name a few.
Have your uniform prepared and clean and any ID you may need. Contact your consultant if you would like more advice.
Do you know how you are getting to the location where you will be providing care? If you are taking public transport check the routes beforehand and timetables to ensure you are not late. If you are driving find out where you can park, what route is best for the time at which you be travelling and how long it will take you to get there, taking into consideration peak travel times.
Whether it’s asking questions to your consultant at Firstpoint Homecare, or even asking questions to the person you are caring for. Getting to know them as well as you can will make their time so much more comfortable. You will be one of the people they look forward to arriving and likely end up sharing some great memories with. You will be caring for them on a personal level and so continuing to learn about them and their requirements is vital.
Last but not least, enjoy. You are doing an extremely important and rewarding job, enjoy every moment.