Approximately 39.8 million caregivers provide care to adults over 18 with a disability or illness – 16.6% of Americans. It’s true, a caregiver’s job can be fulfilling, after all, caring for another being is essentially caring for oneself. However, a caregiver’s job is not an easy one to perform, let alone maintain over a period of several months at a time. It requires an in depth knowledge on the subject of health care and therapy, and as well as a combination of basic caregiver skills such as time management and practicing safety, and as well as interpersonal skills such as the ability to communicate effectively and empathy.

If you are interested in exploring career opportunities in the home health care industry, or looking to apply for a caregiver position, visit our careers page.

Caregiving comes with its unique set of challenges and responsibilities. A caregiver is expected to meet the needs of the patient in every step of their journey together and as well as accommodate for any specialties such as Alzheimer’s care or other types of illness.

At the core of every caregiver, the following skills are included (not in order):

Effective communication skills

The ability to communicate effectively is key to not only building a close bond between caregiver and patient, but also to establish a clear channel of communication between the two. Being able to convey something as basic as a weekly schedule, or discussing healthcare related services is critical to the overall success of the care-plan (the service plan prescribed by the healthcare provider – registered nurse, doctor or physician). Communication skills are not only confined to speech, knowing how to read body language is key to understanding the patient and how they feel.

The most important traits of effective communication:

• Caregiver must speak, read and write fluently in the same language as the patient (i.e. English, Spanish, French)
• Ability to read body language
• Great listening skills
• Coping skills

Strong character traits

Having the mental endurance to care for another human being is a requirement for every caregiver to perform his or her duties, especially when a long term care is involved. Without the right character traits, a caregiver can become quickly burnt-out and drop out of the care-plan, or worse compromise on the services delivered.

Character traits include:

• Conscientiousness
• Patience
• Compassion
• Positive demeanor
• Attentiveness
• Dependability
• Self motivated

Safety skills

Knowing when and how to apply safety measures during caregiving is a very important skill that every caregiver must posses before moving forward with a care-plan. For example, knowing how to apply fall prevention safety measures for seniors who are susceptible to falling is instrumental in preventing injuries and falls.

Safety skills include:

• Fall prevention
• Knowing how to administer medications (if home health care)
• Maintaining environmental safety, indoor & outdoor alike

Professional skills

Knowing what services to deliver, and successfully delivering them is at the core of every successful care-plan. Patients can rely on caregivers (often times on a daily basis when long term care is involved) to show up on time, remain consistent, be knowledgeable in the services provided and provide the expected level of care. The patient’s transportation needs, medication administration and meal preparation hinges on the ability of the caregiver to successfully perform their duties as expected – everything falls without it.

Traits of a professional caregiver:

• Reliability
• Competence
• Trust
• Time management
• Respectful
• Organizational skills

Interpersonal Skills

As a caregiver, you will be interacting with many people all day – healthcare providers, nurses, home care agencies, patients and their family members. Having strong social skills is instrumental for caregivers, it helps them build trust with their patients, nurture relationships with those around them, and help interact with all parties involved with the care-plan.

Interpersonal skills include:

• Communication such as listening, coping and therapy
• Able to thrive in team environments
• Empathy

Physical strength & stamina

Caregivers must be ready to perform a variety of physically demanding tasks such as moving furniture, carry groceries and light house-keeping.

Duties involved:

• Light house-keeping
• Help with groceries
• Mobility assistance and relocating

If you are an experienced caregiver, or if you are just getting started, knowing how to describe the skills you’ve gained and your overall experience in a resume is a crucial step in prospecting for a new job. It is always recommended and easiest to work off of templates with proven success rates. Explore free resume builders such as ResumeGenius or Resume.io (we are not affiliated with either; this is not a sponsorship. Our editors simply liked the tools and thought would be a good recommendation).

Caregiver resume skills

These are the most popular skills that hiring managers are constantly keeping an eye out when vetting caregivers.

• Ability to speak English – other languages such as Spanish or French are a bonus
• Clear and effective communication skills
• Observation skills
• Ability to stay organized; strong time management skills
• Strong problem solving skills, especially under pressure
• Long-term planning and strong development skills

Important information to include in your resume

• Contact information – name, address and email (social media such as LinkedIn is a bonus)
• A detailed summary of your skills
• Focus on your most important and relevant proficiencies such as ability to manage medication schedule
• Relevant work experience
• Awards, certificates such as CNA, HHA and CPR
• Education
• Relevant volunteer experience (optional)
• Licenses

Strong cover letter

A cover letter is one of the best ways to highlight your unique combination of skills, and explain how you can meet the key requirements of the job description. It is the perfect time to draw a clear link between your unique set of experience, knowledge and abilities as a caregiver and the requirements of the hiring manager.

Tips:

• Immediate value: Immediately after the opening statement, emphasize your abilities as a caregiver – sell yourself, why you are the perfect candidate for the job
• Unique fit: Showcase your unique experiences as a caregiver and how that can help you provide additional value to the job description
• Personality: Express your personality in a unique way; provide insight into your interpersonal skills and ability to deliver as a caregiver
• Enthusiasm: Articulate how excited you are about getting started and the passion you have for caregiving