Direct care professionals provide help with basic needs for clients who are elderly or disabled. They assist with daily activities such as bathing and grooming. They are called direct care professionals because of their firsthand involvement with their clients. A direct care professional's job objectives involve striving to provide quality services to those under her supervision.
Safety First
A direct care professional wants to make sure clients aren't harmed while under her care. Firsthand contact with a client creates the potential of putting someone in danger if the direct care professional isn't extra observant and careful. When helping an elderly patient get along at home, for instance, a direct caregiver is careful to clean up any spills, so that her client doesn't fall. Minor slips could be deadly for certain populations, so safety is always a priority.
Monitor Health
Nurse aides are considered direct care professionals. They help monitor a client's overall health. Direct care professionals help patients maintain the highest level of health that their condition allows. In this situation, direct caregivers perform tasks such as measuring blood pressure, taking heart rates and monitoring medication intake. A direct care professional helps manage certain medical aspects of a client's condition so that unnecessary health issues are avoided.
Make Life Easier
Home health aides also fall under the category of direct care professionals. Beyond helping with personal care, home health aides assist with minor household chores. It's more difficult for individuals who are sick and aging to keep up with simple tasks at home, such as emptying trash cans and making beds. Direct care professionals make life a little easier and perform these duties in addition to their hands-on responsibilities.
Report Back
Direct care professionals have regular contact with their assigning offices to follow up on client assignments and they are in touch with their supervisors as needed. Professionally, they possess good communication skills and excellent follow-through. They are accessible and get back to those who require their response, including through needed paperwork. Consistency and reliability in these matters is an objective for a direct care professional.
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Writer Bio
Based in the Midwest, Gina Scott has been writing professionally since 2008. She has worked in real estate since 2004 and has expertise in pop culture and health-related topics. She has also self-published a book on how to overcome chronic health conditions. Scott holds a Master of Arts in higher-education administration from Ball State University.