While the specific tasks performed by a home care worker can vary, in general they often help with household chores and maintenance and assist with non-medical functions. The specific needs of the client dictate the exact nature of the work done by home care professionals. They typically work with people who are extremely sick, impaired some way physically or mentally, or who are elderly and unable to fully take care of themselves. The work done by a home care worker helps a person remain in his or her own home, rather than in a nursing home or similar facility.
A home care worker is someone who works in the home of a client and assists with a number of day-to-day activities and tasks. This type of work is usually done for a person who is physically or mentally unable to fully care for himself or herself. Someone may require assistance due to a physical impairment, such as recovering from a serious injury, and so needs the help of a worker to perform household tasks or move between rooms. A home care worker can be found privately, or may work through an agency that helps place the worker with clients in need.
Chores and helping out around the house are some of the most common tasks a home care worker performs for a client. This can involve anything from cleaning up around a person’s home to picking up food and groceries and running other errands for a person. While such tasks may initially seem menial, anyone recovering from a physical illness or impairment requires a clean environment to ensure continued health. The human contact provided by a home care worker for someone who may be homebound can provide a positive psychological function, as well.
A home care worker often performs a number of non-medical functions to assist a person who cannot perform such functions alone. Someone who is bedridden, for example, may need assistance with moving from room to room, having the sheets of his or her bed changed, and bathing. An elderly individual who is suffering from Alzheimer’s may require assistance with household chores and occasional assistance with personal grooming and other tasks to ensure healthy living. Someone who is suffering from a terminal illness, but who does not wish to be in a hospital or hospice, might also receive assistance from a home care worker to ensure an environment that is as comfortable as possible.