Benefits of Working Part-time in Senior Care
- By Horizon Health Services
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- 16 Mar, 2018
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Working as a caregiver for aging populations is challenging but also personally and professionally rewarding in some unexpected ways.
Small setting senior care centers like Horizon Health Care here in Pierz is especially fulfilling thanks to our smaller patient-to-aide ratio and more personal setting. Whether you are a young person in school, someone considering caregiving as a career, or just looking for part-time work that is meaningful, senior care offers great work experience as well as personal benefits.
Professional Skills
For those looking for work in healthcare, consider what one Health Career website suggests – experiences like Senior care are absolutely fundamental to your future career. “Getting some relevant experience is one of the most important things you can do to help find a career in health, so take any opportunity you can.”
You can expect to gain professional skills in the following areas:
- Assisting clients with personal care
- Assisting clients with homemaking tasks to alleviate their physical demands
- Reminding clients about medication
- Being a trusted companion to the client
- Communicating with the client and their family members
If you’re going the nursing route, many programs recommend finding work as a personal care aide because of the unique blend of experiences you will receive. Rasmussen College notes, “This experience will help develop your interpersonal skills and improve your ability to communicate with patients who are in pain or cognitively impaired.
It is important to us at Horizon Health that we highlight our dedicated employees and help you learn more about the people who make our services great. In this edition of employee spotlight, you will meet Angie Athman, a licensed social worker for our hospice care, and Kelsey Benson, the care coordinator with Horizon Health.
All About Angie
With 12 years as a social worker under her belt, the last 6 of which have been spent working in hospice at Horizon Health, Angie Athman is a valued employee. Nevertheless, she is humble about her position. Angie says her favorite part of her job is the peace it brings her. She says working to serve the aging population is an honor and brings into perspective how precious life really is. While she does think working with end of life patients can be hard, Angie says she is grateful for Horizon’s supportive workplace where her coworkers are like family and the inspirational stories she hears from her elderly patients. When asked if there is anything she feels needs to be known about her position, Angie says that besides her job duties, she runs two caregiver support groups and provides community support to those nearing a hospice situation with a loved one. Angie invites anyone who could use her help to reach out to Horizon Health Hospice at 320-468-2788.
Keeping Up With Kelsey
Also a licensed social worker, our care coordinator Kelsey has done a fabulous job since starting at Horizon Health. Kelsey previously worked in a nursing home and enjoyed serving the elderly population. This led her to pursue social work at Horizon Health. She says her favorite part of her job is connecting families to resources they might not have otherwise had that make their lives easier. The rewarding part is making connections and helping people with compassion and a helpful heart. Kelsey says she really knows her elderly patients on a personal level and values building those relationships!
These two wonderful women make our hospice care more empathetic, more effective, and more supportive for our patients and their families. We are proud to shine a spotlight on Angie and Kelsey!
