What Makes a Good Carer? | The Best Traits to Look Out for When Hiring

When choosing your private carer, finding someone you can trust and get along with, whether you’re looking for respite or long-term care, is essential. Nothing is more important than how well you get along with your carer, especially if they’ll spend lots of time with you or your loved one. Before you choose them, ask yourself important questions like:

• Do they make you feel safe?
• Do you enjoy talking to them?
• Would you enjoy getting to know them over an extended time?

The more positive energy they bring into the room, the better.

How to Check a Private Carer: Your Step-by-Step Guide

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What Type of Care Are You Looking For?

It is essential to know what type of care you need and are looking for, as this is a significant factor in what is going to make a good carer for you. Like any job, the carer you’re looking for will need the skills required for the role you want to fill. Remember, different carers will be stronger and/or more experienced in different areas.

If you are having trouble knowing what care you are looking for, then look here, where we go through different types of care so that you can choose the right one for you.

What Makes a Good Carer?

You may ask yourself, “What does a care worker do”. They are essentially hired to come in, to either help or to replace the family member (if there is one) who is currently taking on the role of the carer. We consider an excellent carer as one who wants to be there, someone who isn’t just there for the money. These types of people go above and beyond, and they do their best to not only help you but also to know you. They bring positive energy with them daily because they love what they do. Positive energy is the key to what makes a good carer for the elderly because, with age, low moods and depression can follow, so having a carer who can lighten up the room is an excellent way of keeping everyone happy.

Qualities of a Good Carer for the Elderly

• Positive energy – Many elderly people suffer from depression or low mood, and a good carer should be someone who can brighten the room.
• Good communication skills – Communication is helpful for any job and relationship, but a good carer will know what to say and, more importantly, how to say it.
• A Personality that corresponds with the family’s – Your carer should have a personality that fits with everyone in the family; otherwise, everyone won’t get along.
• Respectful – As a person ages, their independence and mental capacities reduce, so it’s easy to fall into the trap of being patronising.
• Reliable – Carers are sometimes responsible for ensuring their client eats, drinks, takes medication, and makes appointments. They also need to show up on time when they’re needed.
• Practical – Carers often find themselves helping with personal care activities, so it’s essential that your carer knows what is expected of them.

What Do Carers Want From You?

Carers obviously want a reasonable wage but also want to know that you want them there, not just need them there. They don’t want to be treated like a servant. Although serving you may be part of the role, they want to be treated like a person. A friend. So you, as the client, also need to help your carer feel welcome and put in the effort. Finally, be open and honest with them. If you need something else done or have a problem with how/what they’re doing, then talk to them and let them know. This will help build your relationship and will help your carer do a better and more efficient job.

How to Choose the Right Carer?

You need first to decide if you’re going to look at getting an independent carer or look at an agency for help. If you want to get a carer through an agency, you won’t have to choose a specific carer. However, this means you could end up with someone you don’t particularly get on with. You can look at the differences between an independent carer and an agency carer in one of our other blogs here.

Now that you know what makes a good carer, it is now up to you to make a judgement on who you think would be the best carer for you or your loved one. The carer you decide to interview should have a good understanding of the importance of safety. But you must be comfortable and confident in them, so ask questions. Get a better understanding of their safety knowledge. To help you, we have some hints and tips on home safety here and some guidance on how you or they might conduct a risk assessment here.

Check Your Potential Carers Qualifications

All carers are most probably going to be qualified. But you need to be certain, so make sure you ask about their experience and qualifications so that you know for sure that they have the knowledge. Look out for the Care Certificate or an NVQ in Health and Social care, as professional carers generally hold at least one of these. It’s important that they can perform the specific tasks you need them to, as every person’s needs are unique. We recommend making sure your carer understands what you’ll need them to do and that they have had experience in these tasks. It is not uncommon for people to train their carers in more specialised aspects, such as PEG feeding or colostomy care.

And finally, what is your overall impression? While details are important, feeling good about someone is just as important. So make sure you take a step back and review your potential carer as a whole. Your overall feeling might be the deciding factor in whether or not you are happy to work with them.

How We Can Help

It’s always a safe first step to work with us at PrimeCarers. We run background checks and interview all our carers, so you know you’ll find someone reliable. By going to primecarers.co.uk/best-carers, you will be able to see how our checking process works and what the average carer on our site can provide. We can also help you manage and handle your care online and provide ongoing support, so it’s as easy as possible for you to access the assistance you need. 

At PrimeCarers, we help link you with carers near you so that you can find a carer you like, talk to them, find out more about them, and hopefully, you’ll eventually be able to come to an agreement with the carer of your choice. We have the tools so that you can chat with a carer online and agree on a date to meet with them so that you can see what they are really like by interviewing them or just by having a conversation. Once you agree on terms, we handle all the admin, including contracting, Payment, Insurance and continuous background checking. All you need to do is book your visits.

If you have questions or concerns about using our service, have a look at our FAQ. You can also contact us for help and advice over chat in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, via our contact us form or by phone, at 0203 369 3624.

Looking for more information? Then why not check out our full article about private carers?