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Working in Elderly Care
Working in elderly care requires compassion, patience, flexibility, versatility, and endurance. Professionals working with seniors must have good time management skills, ability to prioritize, and a caring attitude. In Canada, professionals in the elderly care sector work as caregivers and personal care attendants, geriatric and retirement nurses, and geriatric social workers.Personal Care Attendant
Personal care attendants assist seniors with daily tasks and have a number of responsibilities such as planning menus and diets, serving meals, and shopping for supplies and food. They are also tasked with some cleaning and housekeeping responsibilities, personal hygiene, and administering medications. Attendants provide personal and bedside care, help with exercise, and provide companionship. They provide care to persons with disabilities, convalescent and older people, and terminally ill patients. This is a physically demanding job that requires kneeling, crouching, and bending.
Geriatric Nurse
Geriatric nurses work in clinics, long term care facilities, geriatric dementia and transitional units, restorative units, and other settings. They are tasked with treatment, administration of medications, evaluation and development of care plans, and implementation and planning of care. Geriatric nurses implement and assess treatment and care plans for patients with respiratory problems, hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. They perform diagnostic tests in medical offices or in-home and assist doctors during procedures and exams. Geriatric nurses also assist seniors with daily tasks such as dressing, feeding, and bathing and transportation to appointments. Nurses that work as personal support workers are also responsible for meal preparation, medication reminders and administration, errands, light housekeeping, and personal care. Geriatric nurses working in hospitals and clinics also measure vital signs, maintain medical records, and counsel and instruct patients and family members on home care, treatment, medication intake, and different health issues. To work as nurse practitioners, professionals must have a license and degree from a nursing school.
Geriatric Social Worker
Social workers are tasked with assessment, analysis, counselling, and guidance and support. They have qualifications to prepare assessments and evaluate the social, psychological, and biological needs of older patients. Social workers collaborate with physical and occupational therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals. The goal is to develop and implement appropriate treatment plans. They also offer counseling to help patients cope with and overcome social, psychological, and emotional problems. Тhey also prepare assessments to decide which patients require specialized services and care, special transportation, and medical equipment and health aids. Social workers also help older people to apply for community services and health care benefits. They often work with patients with psychological disorders, emotional distress, and mental illness. Geriatric social workers provide services across different settings, including employment programs for the elderly, hospitals and clinics, nursing homes, and retirement communities. Graduates with degrees in geriatric social work, aging, gerontology, and geriatrics are offered employment as social workers.
Other Positions
Healthcare professionals in elderly care also work as health care aids, continuing care assistants, and licensed practical nurses. Health care aides, for example, work in assisted care facilities, nursing homes, and patients’ homes. They have multiple responsibilities, among which food preparation, help with physical therapy and equipment, keeping records, and providing care in residencies and hospices.
Salary Range
The average salary of professionals in elderly care is $33,150 and ranges from $25,350 to $42,900. Social workers are paid $67,140 on average, psychotherapists get $73,980 while registered nurses are paid $75,680 a year. The average salary varies by province and territory and is $29,250 in Ontario, $33,150 in Alberta, and $34,125 in British Columbia. Read more about affordabiity at CreditCardsforBadCredit. You can also find helpful tips about credit here: https://www.creditcardsforbadcredit.ca/neo-financial-secured-credit-card-and-money-account/ and here https://www.creditcardsforbadcredit.ca/credit-cards-for-bad-credit-canada/
Student Jobs
Different types of jobs are available to students in Canada, including summer positions, part- and full-time jobs under government programs, jobs at colleges and universities, and others.
Federal Student Work Experience Program
One option for students is to apply under the Federal Student Work Experience Program which is offered to returning full-time and full-time students who have employment authorization. Positions are available across different fields, including finance, information technology, administration, trades, and sciences. Work opportunities are also offered to students with disabilities and indigenous students. Postsecondary internship and co-op programs are also available to students enrolled in validated institutions, including Cambrian College, Brock University, Concordia University of Montreal. Internships are offered across different areas of study such as audit, control, and accounting, payroll administration, and accountancy.
Jobs by Private Employers
Students have access to a wide pool of employment opportunities and positions such as customer service representative, seasonal crop scout, research assistant, banking associate, and pharmacy assistant. Pharmacy assistants, for example, are tasked with records maintenance, inventory management, delivery, and distribution. They are responsible for inspecting, unpacking, and receiving medications, labelling and packaging medications, and ordering supplies. Research assistants perform research and administrative tasks, including taking minutes, developing meeting agendas, and managing research files and other documents. They are also tasked with survey distribution, literature searches, report writing, and development of visuals, graphs, and charts. University-level students are also offered human resources positions and the opportunity to work full-time in summer and part-time during the academic year. Human resource assistants are tasked with developing employment offers, assisting hiring managers, interviewing candidates, and posting open positions. Seasonal legal positions are available to students who are enrolled in Canadian law programs. Legal assistants have multiple responsibilities such as analysis and review of regulatory data, interpretation of legal documents and regulations, negotiation of contracts, and review of legal issues.
Seasonal crop scout positions are also offered, and students undergo training in weed and crop staging, crop and pest population counts, identification of diseases and insects, and more. Seasonal crop scouts are tasked with monitoring for and recording of diseases, insects, and weeds, which are duly reported to the manager.
Jobs at Colleges and Universities
Different colleges and universities offer employment opportunities, among which Algonquin College, University of Manitoba, Simon Fraser University. Students can choose from a wide selection of internships, volunteer positions, work-study positions, and off and on campus summer, part-time, and full-time jobs. Workshops, career fairs, and other events are also organized to offer students the opportunity to meet employers and make connections. Workshops and career events explore topics such as application planning, search strategies, cover letter and resume design, and interview strategies.
Salary
Students in Canada are paid about $38,000 a year, and the pay varies by province and territory. In Manitoba, Quebec, and British Columbia, the average salary is $38,025 while in Alberta students are paid about $39,480. The highest-paying positions for university and college students include night auditor, content editor, translator, and tutor. Tutors, for example, are paid between $30 and $60 per hour while editors get between $40 and $60. Other high-paying positions for students include grant analyst, online researcher, social media assistant, and guest service coordinator.