A basic caregiver job description is to assist an individual or family with self care tasks, cleaning, cooking, and other chores depending on the needs of the person in their care. The difference between a caregiver and a housekeeper is that the caregiver’s job is focused around the individual or people who they are caring for rather than the house.
Caregiver contracts often describe the duties and expectations of the caregiver. The caregiver job descriptions can vary greatly among different contracts since the job of the caregiver involves different tasks based on the needs of the individual or family.
The primary caregiver duty is to care for the children, disabled, or elderly people trusted to their care. Caregivers may need to help with bathing, toileting, grooming, and other personal hygiene tasks. If the person is confined to a wheelchair or bed, the caregiver may need to assist with moving the individual.
Caregiver jobs can require the caregiver to do housework, cooking, and laundry. The caregiver may have to clean regularly. The caregiver may be responsible for cleaning the kitchen and bathroom and keeping the rest of the house tidy. Caregivers may have to do all the cleaning and prepare all the meals for the individual, but some caregivers do not have to do any cooking or cleaning.
Some caregiver agencies have restrictions about what housework chores the family can ask the caregiver to do. A caregiver agency may prohibit its caregivers from doing yard work or any tasks that would require the use of a ladder.
Administering medication and offering medical advice is typically not included in the job description for a caregiver. In fact, some caregiver contracts may prohibit the caregiver from giving medical advice. The caregiver might be asked to help carry out the prescribed treatment for the individual such as reminding the person to take their medication or assisting with range of motion exercises.
Caregivers may be responsible for driving the person in their care to doctor appointments or other appointments. For some caregiver jobs, the caregiver may need to use their own vehicle to transport the client to appointments and activities. The caregiver may be required to carry a valid driver’s license and car insurance.
The caregiver duties may include picking up the person’s medication at the pharmacy. Caregivers might need to do the grocery shopping for the household. The caregiver is generally not responsible for household finances such as paying bills.
For household expenses like groceries, the client or family might provide some household money for the caregiver to use. The caregiver is usually responsible for keeping receipts to show that the money was spent on household needs.
The needs of each family are unique. One individual may need constant care and help with all self care tasks and household chores while another individual may be living independently but need just occasional help and companionship. Since the caregiver’s job description can vary significantly among different jobs, the caregiver should make sure she understands her responsibilities for a specific job.