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Direct care worker skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Megan Harvey Ph.D.,

Penny Ridenour

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical direct care worker skills. We ranked the top skills for direct care workers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 21.8% of direct care worker resumes contained direct care as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a direct care worker needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 direct care worker skills for your resume and career

1. Direct Care

Direct care is the act of identifying people with special needs and offering the necessary care for them.

Here's how direct care workers use direct care:

Direct Care Worker/Program Coordinator- Directly provided care to adults with physical and mental disabilities in their home environment.
Delivered direct care for 10 developmentally disabled intellectually disabled, mentally ill, and/or physically handicapped women.

2. Patients

Here's how direct care workers use patients:

Cared for six elderly residents Made and prepared meals Maintained household Passed medications to patients Obtained vital signs Documented client information
Prepare daily documents administered medications handled patients hygiene house cleaning and provided transportation to and from appointment

3. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how direct care workers use cpr:

Certified in CPR and Medication administration.
Provision of respite to family with four special needs children Requires maintenance of CPR and First Aid Certification and Fingerprint Clearance Card

4. Developmental Disabilities

Here's how direct care workers use developmental disabilities:

Assisted 10 Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MRDD) clients daily with exercising plans and documented their extra-curricular activities.
Provide services to a small group of individuals with developmental disabilities and autism in a supportive and personalized residential environment.

5. Crisis Intervention

Here's how direct care workers use crisis intervention:

Provide behavior management/crisis intervention utilizing authorized aggression.
Handled emergency situations appropriately, utilize crisis interventions when necessary and teach clients emergency preparedness including first aid and fire safety.

6. Vital Signs

Vital signs are a set of values indicating different body systems' performance. They are measurements of the body's most basic functions. The four major vital signs used in medicine to assess a patient are body temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure.

Here's how direct care workers use vital signs:

Job Responsibilities: Medication administration, vital signs, emergency protocols, progress/incident reports, paperwork for administration personnel.
Monitored vital signs and medications for consumers under the direction of a registered nurse/ physiotherapist.

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7. Companionship

Companionship refers to the condition of creating time for somebody or having a person with whom to socialize.

Here's how direct care workers use companionship:

Provide caring and companionship to elderly and developmentally disabled consumers and provide primary resident care and assistance with daily living activities.
Assist developmental disabled individuals with daily living activities Provide companionship with new lifestyle adjustments Perform daily household chores

8. Mental Health

Mental health is the state of wellbeing in which an individual can cope with the regular stresses and tensions of life, and can work productively without having any emotional or psychological breakdown. Mental health is essential for a person of any age and helps them make the right decisions in their life.

Here's how direct care workers use mental health:

Provided treatment for challenged behaviors of youth with mental health problems and administered medications to residents when necessary.
Intervened with counseling, assistance, referral, and recommendations involving residents with mental health/chemical abuse problems.

9. Medication Reminders

A medication reminder can refer to any device that is used to remind patients or caregivers to take medications. Pill reminders can come as simple devices with a pre-installed adjustable timer that uses an alarm to remind about medication. They can be made from sophisticated technology that can senses if the lid has been opened with sound and light alarms that may help the hearing-impaired users too.

Here's how direct care workers use medication reminders:

Monitor health care including medication reminders and transportation to appointments
Provide ailing clients with assistance in daily duties such as dressing, housekeeping, meal preparation, medication reminders, etc.

10. Meal Prep

Meal prepping refers to the practice of preparing healthy meals long before the timing of its consumption. This practice is widely popular among working individuals who have very little free time on their hands. Prepping for future meals has some great health benefits apart from saving one's time as it enforces the idea of healthy eating and discourages the temptation of fast foods and takeouts.

Here's how direct care workers use meal prep:

Promoted a high quality of living that included; personal care, meal preparation, medication administration, and routine maintenance/housekeeping.
Total care included assistance with activities of daily living, medication administration, escort to medical appointments and meal preparation.

11. ADL

ADL is a clinical shorthand for "activities of daily living." It includes tasks such as feeding, dressing, bathing, and caring for one's self and personal hygiene.

Here's how direct care workers use adl:

Assisted clients with basic ADL Skills*Administered medication*Accompanied clients to medical appointments*Participated in community integration activities*Document client progress
Assist developmentally disabled individuals with ADL Skills, medication management, and therapeutic practices.

12. Motor Vehicle

A motor vehicle is a mode of transportation such as a car, truck or bus.

Here's how direct care workers use motor vehicle:

Transferred individuals carefully into and out of bed, wheelchair, and motor vehicle.
Transported charges in a motor vehicle.

13. Intellectual Disabilities

Here's how direct care workers use intellectual disabilities:

Supported adult with intellectual disabilities and co-occurring behavioral health disorders on an as needed basis.
Assisted clients with developmental/intellectual disabilities with daily living, provided safety, and comfort.

14. Patient Care

Patient care entails the diagnosis, recovery, and control of sickness as well as the maintenance of physical and emotional well-being through the use of healthcare providers' services. Patient care is described as services provided to patients by health practitioners or non-professionals under guidance.

Here's how direct care workers use patient care:

Maintained patient care*Documented patient progress*Responsible for teaching patients daily living and life skills*Responsible for assisting patients with on/off campus appointments
Adhered to patient care directives, as well as implementation of additional activities and progressive responsibilities of patient functionality.

15. Alertness

Here's how direct care workers use alertness:

Transported clients with assistance such as coordinating outings while also promoting the client s mental alertness through involvement in these activities.

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What skills help Direct Care Workers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on direct care worker resumes?

Megan Harvey Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Health Science, Springfield College

Students who plan to go into the health care field need to have both determination and thick skin and the ability to be empathic and understand their patients. We've seen the way health care professionals are being treated change, even just in the past 5 years. It can be a hard balance to walk for health care professionals, to be both firm about evidence-based practice and empathetic and kind to their patients, but it's really the only way to achieve the best possible patient outcomes. I imagine that showing that you have worked in challenging health care situations is one way to show that you're developing this skill on your resume.

What direct care worker skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Penny Ridenour

Dean of School of Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City

To differentiate yourself from the other new professionals entering healthcare after graduation, pay attention to the soft skills employers are looking for. Listening, empathy, and communication skills polish professional persona. Also, developing skills in resiliency will equip new professionals for a growing career in healthcare.

Do you want to know more?

List of direct care worker skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a direct care worker resume and required skills for a direct care worker to have include:

Direct Care
Patients
CPR
Developmental Disabilities
Crisis Intervention
Vital Signs
Companionship
Mental Health
Medication Reminders
Meal Prep
ADL
Motor Vehicle
Intellectual Disabilities
Patient Care
Alertness
Direct Support
Independent Living

Medical Appointments
Physical Disabilities
Administer Medications
Home Management
Nutritious Meals
DCW
Mental Illness
Catheter
Blood Pressure
Community Outings
Physical Therapy
Group Homes
Incident Reports
Emotional Support
Bed Linens
ISP
Resuscitation

Oral Hygiene
Bedpans
Food Preparation
Doctor Appointments
Community Integration
Quality Care
Provide Emotional Support
Mental Disabilities
Clean Environment
Alzheimer
Supported Living
Household Chores
Oral Medications
Competency Development
Management Tasks
Cooking Meals

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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