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Care taker vs direct care aide

The differences between care takers and direct care aides can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct care aide has an average salary of $30,429, which is higher than the $26,887 average annual salary of a care taker.

The top three skills for a care taker include meal prep, companionship and CPR. The most important skills for a direct care aide are home health, foster care, and CPR.

Care taker vs direct care aide overview

Care TakerDirect Care Aide
Yearly salary$26,887$30,429
Hourly rate$12.93$14.63
Growth rate36%36%
Number of jobs102,295178,038
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 37%High School Diploma, 35%
Average age4848
Years of experience--

Care taker vs direct care aide salary

Care takers and direct care aides have different pay scales, as shown below.

Care TakerDirect Care Aide
Average salary$26,887$30,429
Salary rangeBetween $14,000 And $50,000Between $22,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City-Springfield, MA
Highest paying state-Vermont
Best paying company-Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs
Best paying industry-Energy

Differences between care taker and direct care aide education

There are a few differences between a care taker and a direct care aide in terms of educational background:

Care TakerDirect Care Aide
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 37%High School Diploma, 35%
Most common majorBusinessNursing
Most common college--

Care taker vs direct care aide demographics

Here are the differences between care takers' and direct care aides' demographics:

Care TakerDirect Care Aide
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 24.9% Female, 75.1%Male, 20.8% Female, 79.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 10.7% White, 53.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.3% Asian, 8.0% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between care taker and direct care aide duties and responsibilities

Care taker example responsibilities.

  • Aid and facilitate higher functioning patients reach their fullest potential while managing behavioral episodes as needed.
  • Assist in doing a male catheter for resident who have a hard time going on his own.
  • Assist elderly or disable adults with daily living activities provide companionship and insure safely practices with severe caution.
  • Provide colostomy care and administer medication for pain management in accordance with current physician recommendations.

Direct care aide example responsibilities.

  • Provide individuals appropriate assistance in completing ADL's, such as showering, toileting, transferring, dressing, and feeding.
  • Assist mentally disable adults with ADL's such as showering, grooming, oral care, eating, dressing and toileting.
  • Provide emotional and mental support to unstable patients and are experience in dealing with aggressive residents
  • Provide caring and companionship to elderly and developmentally disable consumers and provide primary resident care and assistance with daily living activities.
  • Advocate for disable children, help them thrive through completion of goals and one-on-one supervision SCIP, AMAP and CPR certify.
  • Dispense and administer medication to patients according to AMAP policies and procedures.

Care taker vs direct care aide skills

Common care taker skills
  • Meal Prep, 41%
  • Companionship, 14%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Child Care, 4%
  • Blood Pressure, 4%
  • RUN Errands, 3%
Common direct care aide skills
  • Home Health, 17%
  • Foster Care, 10%
  • CPR, 9%
  • Patients, 7%
  • Meal Prep, 7%
  • Rehabilitation, 6%

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