Ever wonder if you would be a great senior living caregiver? The truth is that senior living caregivers are a special breed and the best in the field share very similar traits, all of which contribute both to giving excellent care and to really enjoying doing it. While deciding on a career path, find out what traits are most sought after among senior living communities seeking top-notch senior living caregivers.
#1 Empathy – Empathy is essential to being a great senior living caregiver. Having the innate ability to be empathetic means being able to walk in someone else’s shoes and understand what they are feeling. Not to be confused with sympathy, empathy helps humans understand how another person feels and provide the care and compassion needed to help them cope and overcome the difficulty. Empathy also helps us to know another person is in distress without having to be told. A Senior Star associate also appreciates the same, noting, “[The] entire management team (is) very compassionate and shows concern for each staff member.” Learn more about the importance of empathy in the indeed.com article, “Sympathy vs. Empathy: Definition and Importance In the Workplace.”
#2 Diplomacy – Life is full of little events that require looking at both sides of the story and helping both parties come to an equitable solution. Being diplomatic allows senior caregivers to be sensitive to others without taking sides. Whether it’s a disagreement among staff or residents, or just a resident being unreasonable, diplomacy can help everyone reach a satisfactory resolution and go on with life without hard feelings. More about the benefits of diplomacy can be found in the etiquette-guide.com article “Communicating with Diplomacy in the Workplace.”
#3 Sense of humor – Senior caregivers who have a sense of humor can be a great asset to residents and coworkers alike. Being able to find humor in life when you need it most is a gift that is best expressed in the old saying “Humor is the best medicine.” That’s because humor prompts laughter which we now know really does have health benefits. According to the verywellmind.com blog, “The Health Benefits of Laughter,” these benefits range from lowering stress to distracting from negative emotions to good exercise. And who doesn’t love to laugh? Senior living caregivers who share their sense of humor help make life more fun and joyful for everyone.
#4 Patience – Senior residents of senior living communities come in all sizes, personalities, and levels of mental and physical abilities and to ensure each receives the best possible care, senior living caregivers must be patient. Those who are empathetic are often also patient and able to gently manage the task at hand even when their patience is tried by a resident or coworker. One Senior Star associate found patience to be key during the COVID-19 crisis.
“Over the last year, I have watched my department pull together repeatedly and solve problems no one could foresee. We had an abundance of patience for each other and our circumstances in spite of hurdles brought by the pandemic. I felt genuine concern and support and was glad to offer the same while we accommodated many changes to how we worked and what was expected. I really felt like part of a team.”
Residents with dementia, or those in pain or who have limited mobility may become frustrated and need a level of patience that goes above and beyond, and it is important that senior caregivers can meet that need. More about patience in senior living caregivers is spelled out in the Psychology Today article, “How to Communicate With Difficult Seniors and Older Adults.”
#5 Flexibility – Life happens and the ability of senior living caregivers to go with the flow is another excellent trait for those who want to succeed. Whether it’s as simple as helping a coworker with a task they cannot manage alone or tending to the sudden unexpected needs of a resident, the ability of senior living caregivers to bend a little when required makes for a better workplace and better caregiver. At Senior Star we also recognize that flexibility is key to happy staff.
As one associate noted, “Management really truly cares- not just about me, the employee, but me the person as well as my family. They have been so caring and helpful and flexible when I need to switch shifts or take off to be with my children.”
Being flexible can also give senior living caregivers the means of taking a little extra time to get to know the residents and build trusting and long-term relationships.
#6 Conscientiousness – Some might call it attention to detail while others would see it as being willing to go the extra mile, but a conscientious senior living caregiver is one who is both and more. It can best be summed up by saying that a conscientious senior living caregiver is one who does their job to the best of their ability and always strives to do better. Find out more in the seniorsmatter.com blog, “Best caregiving personalities.”
At Senior Star we give as good as we get and feel our residents deserve the best senior living caregivers available and our caregivers an exceptional work environment. For a look at our caregiving job possibilities, check out our careers website.