There can come a time when extra care is required for a loved one. It has now become easier to hire someone to provide that extra support needed. There are many professions which provide support for people who may have a chronic disease, had a recent injury or may have some form of disability which stops them from carrying out certain tasks on their own. Personal support workers are professionals who take care ill, need help carrying out tasks on a daily bases and especially the elderly. There are a number of places where personal support workers can work, these include long-term care facilities, a client’s home, place of residence, even a school and a home care agency who employ personal support workers. Being a personal support worker also allows you to be self-employed and work according to your own conditions and timings based on your availability. For many people it is one of the most rewarding careers as it allows you to help vulnerable people and take care of their emotional, mental and physical well-being. There are many other names of this profession in different places. A personal support worker can also be called caregiver, personal care attendant or some support worker.

Since this profession is a healthcare profession if does require training however not as much as other roles in the healthcare sector. One can only be qualified as a personal support worker if they undergo a short period of training, this is important because it allows you to be well prepared in uncertain situations. An overview of what exactly personal support workers do in their day to day life is to take care of people or families during a period of recovery or illness, provide care for people who need support with moving, bathing, dressing or grooming, personal support workers can also be involved with preparing appropriate meals for their client, take care of the medication and make sure it is taken on time which is prescribed by their doctor or supervisor, PSW can also be involved with some house work like cleaning, laundry, washing clothes and dishes.

Along with the many of the important roles which personal support workers play in their clients’ lives, they also take care of their mental health through spending time with them, talking to them or even help them learn a new skill. During times of illness or recovery from an injury people can fall into isolation or feel lonely which can slow down the rate at which they recover, so to help them recover quickly it as essential to spend time with them so they are engaged and feel positive. These are the tasks which personal support workers carry out and which makes their job very dear to them as it can be very satisfactory for them to help others. One very appealing thing about this career is that it does not require tonnes of previous experience or even qualifications, it is a job at which there will lots of opportunities to train and learn new skills which can be very beneficial in the future. An ultimate goal of a personal support worker is to help the client regain their independence back and have speedy recovery. Whether care is short term or long term all depends on the individual circumstances of the client. Since each client have their own individual needs and wants, this can allow a personal support worker to gain a lot from the varied experiences they will have when working with a different client and their family. The role of a PSW makes a very positive difference in vulnerable peoples’ lives which can help improve their quality of life.

A personal support worker has the opportunity to work on their own or as part of a group. This can teach them how to work independently and as a part of a multidisciplinary team. Being a personal support worker does require a certain level of education. Up to High School level education is needed to be a PSW. A personal support worker would roughly require 2 years of experience after which they can work independently. However, if one does not have 2 years of experience does not mean that you can not be paid. Certain home care agencies do pay you during the training period however, it may not be as much as an experienced and trained personal support worker but with experience one can obtain the skills required to work in more challenging environments. There are a set of essential skills which can really help someone fulfil their job to the best of their ability as a personal support worker. These important skills include knowing how to ensure patient safety for example preventing the patient from getting sores, changing plasters or bandages and helping patients have a bath, another important skill is to follow procedures, being able to work well with a group of people, excellent communication skills and having good problem-solving skills.

Having good language skills is also an integral part of being a personal support worker because effective communication is the key to building a good rapport with your client. There could be times when a PSW may need to talk to a client on the phone and explain something important to them. Written pieces of work also need to be eloquent so it is easy for the client and their family to understand. Generally, the world population is increasing and the population of people over the age of 65 is increasing and due to work or other reasons their families may not be able to fully support them at all times. As a result, there are now more job opportunities for personal support workers and other professions with a similar role. One of the reasons why people choose to have a career as a personal support worker is that it is not like a monotonous 9-5 job at a desk which may not be what some people want as their day-to-day job.  Being a personal support worker requires responsibility and compassion towards your client so they can recover as soon as possible.