Caring for the Carers – How Can We Take Better Care of Care Workers?
Caring for the carers – How can we take better care of care workers?
Carers are the unsung heroes who provide much-needed support to older adults and people living with disabilities. In Australia, they represent over 2 million workers and are vital to families across the country. They provide essential services for our society but they are often underpaid, overworked, and undervalued. It's time to change that because they deserve recognition and respect for all their hard work.
Formal assistance from a personal care worker makes a huge difference in the lives of many Australians. People living with disabilities, or those who need assistance due to age, may rely on professional health care workers to support them in their day-to-day lives, whether that be by assisting in a few small tasks or helping with most of the day’s activities.
With these workers making such an impact on the quality of life for many Australians, employers and industry bodies must do their best to ensure carers are supported too. Given the right assurance, personal care workers can complete shifts, find assistance during emergencies and maintain their well-being while helping clients in need.
The risks care workers are exposed to
Healthcare workers are exposed to many risks and potential hazards as they fulfill their obligations, for some, as they move between multiple homes to work with a range of clients.
Here are just some of the many risk factors care workers face:
Aggressive behaviour
Care work tends to be emotionally draining. Even the most kindhearted clients may be prone to reacting emotionally, especially if they're suffering from discomfort, pain, ill health, or cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, it is an unfortunate reality that some clients' families and friends may also be verbally abusive when they perceive their loved ones' care workers to have committed errors.
Emotional stress
Unstructured work days, low control over the mode of daily tasks and emotionally distressing situations can lead to a severe build-up of stress. Furthermore, when working with older or at-risk clients, the loss of life is a very real possibility that can have significant emotional ramifications for a worker.
Fatigue
Caring for the elderly and people with a disability takes a toll not only emotionally but also physically. Committing to caring for someone means someone is on two schedules: their clients and their own. Without proper support, carers will feel drained and left with little to no energy because they have to work on every task without help.
Injuries
Because of extreme exhaustion, carers may be more likely to suffer from injuries. A carer’s job can include strenuous physical activity like assisting with transferring, bathing and dressing clients, moving furniture or performing domestic chores. When these require overreaching, handling heavy loads, bending or twisting, injuries can occur – either developing through gradual wear and tear or happening suddenly. Slippery surfaces and obstacles in the home can also pose just as much risk for an aged person as for their carer so carers may also experience slips, trips, and falls.
Infection
Diseases and other infections may be contracted by care workers through contact with a client or client’s possessions. For example, a client may have soiled laundry containing contaminated body substances. A worker must exercise extra caution around ill clients.
Keep reading: Safety Considerations for Home Care Support Workers
How can we take better care of care workers?
Carers often feel isolated and unsupported, but there are ways you can better support professional carers. Here are things to consider:
Give adequate training and resources
Another way to ensure your employees receive the support they need is to provide training and resources. When given adequate training, carers are equipped with the knowledge of how to deal with occupational hazards and possible issues with clients and their families. Training can also help avoid injuries and infections because the carers know the proper methods and techniques for higher standards of care. The additional resources will also help improve the confidence and competence of health professionals because they know they have the expertise to deal with any issues that may come up at work. Trying to source important information while also caregiving can be overwhelming. Helping carers find relevant resources provides reassurance and confidence.
Protect them from physical and biological hazards
Carers should be provided with appropriate protective equipment for infection prevention and control, if necessary. Their work environment should also have access to water, sanitation, hygiene, and disinfection facilities. Vaccinations for carers can also be considered especially when dealing with clients suffering from illness. Carers should also have access to resources that will help prevent injuries or harmful exposure to chemicals to ensure both the carer's and the client's safety.
Provide mental health support
Because of the emotional burden of the job, some carers can develop depression and anxiety disorders. If you want to help relieve the stress for carers, learn more about recognizing signs of caregiver burnout and how to cope with them. A study published in the National Library of Medicine has shown that comprehensive counselling sessions have helped carers, especially those caring for someone with dementia, in reducing depression.
Give them enough time off
While the clients are the top priority, it is important to strike a perfect balance between client wellbeing and worker needs. In aged care services, carers often work long shifts, especially during the holiday season. If you know long hours are expected because of the client's schedule, consider giving your carers extra days off. Offering them more flexible hours will also be a huge help so they can work around their schedules if needed. Allowing for regular breaks throughout the day to prevent any burnout is also crucial.
Ask and listen
No one understands what carers are going through better than themselves. If you feel that carers are on the brink of burnout or feel underappreciated, it is best to ask how you can provide better support and assistance to them. The needs of every carer are different and listening to their concerns and their woes and giving appropriate help is the best thing you can do to ensure they feel heard and appreciated.
Related reading: Know Your Rights: Basic Carers' Rights and Responsibilities in Australia and New Zealand
How Tunstall can help provide peace of mind to care workers
Tunstall provides tailored monitoring solutions for carers so they can have peace of mind on the job. We are proud providers of industry-leading support through our personal alarms and Connected Care solutions to help carers and clients achieve the highest quality of care.
Personal Safety Devices for Carers & Clients
Our range of personal alarms can help care workers provide better care by helping to ensure the safety of our clients. These personal alarms can help provide assistance 24 hours a day with just the press of a button. Features such as fall detection and GPS tracking provide carers with an additional layer of assurance so they can take better care of their clients.
Read more: Duress Alarm in Healthcare: A Lifeline for Carers
Monitoring & Data Accessibility Apps
For additional safety and wellbeing, we have the Lifestream by Guardian app - a next-generation personal safety and assistance platform that connects your smartphone to 24/7 professional help at the touch of a button. Read more about it here: https://www.tunstallhealthcare.com.au/lifestream-by-guardian
If you want to see how our dedication to innovation and care can help you,contact Tunstall Healthcare today.
