You have this vocation to help others and over time, you decided to make it your job? After several years of reflection, you have decided to become a care assistant to take care of adults. It is still unclear what steps you need to take to achieve this goal.
Qualities required for a care assistant
In order to be able to take care of others and to become a caregiver for the elderly, you need to acquire certain qualities. The elderly people that the carers have to look after are people who move very slowly. Sometimes they can't even move. They speak in exactly the same way as a child. Therefore, the person who takes care of them must have a lot of patience and also empathy.
A care assistant must also have an easy contact with the elderly. He or she must be a good listener. Apart from that, physical abilities are important for daily tasks such as shopping, cooking, tidying and cleaning the house, entertaining...
What kind of training do I need to become a care assistant?
The demand for home support workers has increased in recent years due to the increase in the ageing population. To become an adult care assistant, you need to follow certain training courses that are open to everyone, even those who do not have an academic degree.
First of all, you can follow a training course to obtain a diploma in educational and social support. With this training, you will learn everything you need to do to accompany dependent and elderly people in all their daily tasks. To follow the training, you must be 18 years old. Depending on your qualifications and work experience, the training will last between 12 and 24 months.
You can also follow a training course to obtain the Bac pro in Accompaniment, Care and Services to the Person. To reinforce all these training courses, you can train for the "Aide à domicile" complementary mention. This will enable you to acquire the skills that will allow you to assist these people on a daily basis.
Life auxiliary: a vocation
If you want to become a home care assistant, you should bear in mind that this is not the job for you if you want to become rich. It is true that you can earn a living from it, but the salary only allows you to support yourself.
At the very beginning, a home care assistant earns the minimum wage and over time there are increases according to the skills and experience acquired. Becoming a carer is an exciting job and the reward is mainly in the happy and satisfied eyes of the elderly people you look after.