23 December 2015
Here’s the continuation to my last blog post discussing the next two qualities of a caregiver.
Respectfulness and Honesty; and Flexibility and Cooperativeness:
Respectfulness and honesty are important qualities for every caregiver to have. We are often working with people who are vulnerable from different lifestyles and cultures and they hold varying views, values, beliefs and attitudes.
Whether you are providing care now or will be in the future, ask yourself if you are able to put yourself in the shoes of people you care for? All of us deserve respect and kindness, giving us more reason to be supportive and understanding of the needs of a care recipient. Showing respect means protecting another’s dignity and modesty at all times.
Privacy and dignity include things like paying attention, taking the time to listen, respecting choices, cultural values, beliefs and practices. It also includes encouraging independence while maintaining a sense of dignity and providing a service that meets a person’s needs and helps them feel empowered. As human beings, we all have our own values, beliefs and attitudes that we have developed throughout the course of our lives. Our family, friends, community and the experiences over time contribute to our sense of who we are and how we view the world.
More qualities are being flexible and cooperative. As a carer you must be open to change because whether you like it or not, it will happen. Change is something that happens all the time and being flexible and learning how to be adaptable, in these situations will equip you to respond efficiently. Being cooperative has equal importance as it also influences the quality of care being provided and fosters a positive and productive work culture. Cooperativeness means helping each other and sharing responsibilities. When one person is uncooperative it not only slows the rest of the team but also affects the quality of care as aged care relies heavily on effective flexibility, corporation and team work.
In my next post we shall discuss qualities 4 and 5 (Persistence/ Empathy and Kindness) and share with you their importance in aged care.
