- Stacey Bruss, RN, Clinical Application Specialist at CareVoyant

There are millions of people who serve as caregivers. Whether they work for a private duty nursing services provider, work for a home care agency, or work independently taking care of a family or friend who might need extra assistance, it is imperative to find someone who has the traits necessary to do a job well done.

No matter what type of caregiver a person may be, there are some common and essential traits that most successful caregivers seem to possess. When you witness these traits firsthand, you will know that your loved one is in good hands.

Some of the best traits that every caregiver should have are:

Patience. Having patience means that you are flexible with plans as things may not always be right all the time, and a patient may decline the caregiver’s services on some days.
Compassion. Putting yourself in the patient or client’s shoes will allow you to have compassion. Understanding what they are going through.
Attentiveness. Taking notice of things going on with your client when providing the care is very important.
Dependability. If the client or client’s family hired a home care agency to perform the service, they are obviously in need, and it is crucial that the caregiver show up on time and when they say they are going to.
Trustworthiness. This is so important! You must have the trust of the client and family and always be honest!! Caregivers usually have access to the patient’s belongings, information, and some personal things, and it is so important that the patient and family can trust him/her. Caregivers have to lead by example.
Clinical knowledge and software competencies. Knowledge of clinical documentation requirements, possessing home care software competencies, adherence to care plans such as administering medicines, and maintaining medical records will be helpful to providing the correct care and maintaining the patient's clinical history.

During this time, home care services continue to rise due to the aging population and increasing demand due to the pandemic. It is an affordable option that allows the patient/client to stay in a familiar environment, keeping them safe and healthy. By looking for these traits noted above when seeking out a caregiver, you can rest assured that your home care journey will start on the RIGHT foot.

About the Author

Stacey Bruss, RN, is a Clinical Applications Specialist at CareVoyant. In this role, she helps build and enhance the clinical features of our software from the perspective of CareGivers. A Post Acute Leader who graduated with honors from the University of Toledo, Stacey has been working as a Registered Nurse for 19 years. She has extensive experience with home health, LTACH, Palliative, and Hospice care in both clinical and sales roles.

ABOUT CAREVOYANT

CareVoyant is a leading provider of cloud-based integrated enterprise-scale home health care software that can support all home-based services under ONE Software, ONE Patient, and ONE Employee, making it a Single System of Record. We support all home based services, including Home Care, Private Duty Nursing, Private Duty Non-Medical, Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), Home Health, Pediatric Home Care, and Outpatient Therapy at Home.

CareVoyant functions – Intake, Authorization Management, Scheduling, Clinical with Mobile options, eMAR/eTAR, Electronic Visit Verification (EVV), Billing/AR, Secure Messaging, Notification, Reporting, and Dashboards – streamline workflow, meet regulatory requirements, improve quality of care, optimize reimbursement, improve operational efficiency and agency bottom line.

For more information, please visit CareVoyant.com or call us at 1-888-463-6797.