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Live in caregiver vs direct care worker

The differences between live in caregivers and direct care workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a live in caregiver has an average salary of $36,855, which is higher than the $29,343 average annual salary of a direct care worker.

The top three skills for a live in caregiver include companionship, home health and CPR. The most important skills for a direct care worker are direct care, patients, and CPR.

Live in caregiver vs direct care worker overview

Live In CaregiverDirect Care Worker
Yearly salary$36,855$29,343
Hourly rate$17.72$14.11
Growth rate36%36%
Number of jobs71,484140,788
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 31%High School Diploma, 32%
Average age4848
Years of experience--

What does a live in caregiver do?

A live-in caregiver assists with dressing, exercise, bathing, grooming, and toileting services. These professionals offer essential food preparation services such as laundry, light housekeeping, meal preparation, shopping, and more. They offer general health care services such as administering medicine, appointment reminders, overseeing medication usage, and overseeing prescriptions usage. Moreover, they offer personal supervision services, whereby they provide general supervision and constant companionship. Also, they orient or ground individuals with dementia and Alzheimer's disease and relay the doctor's information to the family members.

What does a direct care worker do?

A Direct Care Worker's responsibility revolves around overseeing clients' welfare and health care from different ages and conditions. Most of the duties will involve assistance in basic hygienic tasks such as bathing or going to the toilet, performing light chores such as preparing healthy meals and cleaning a bedroom, and ensuring the patient's medication intake aligns with the schedule. Furthermore, it is also the duty of a Direct Care Worker to empathize and build rapport with clients to make them feel more at ease.

Live in caregiver vs direct care worker salary

Live in caregivers and direct care workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Live In CaregiverDirect Care Worker
Average salary$36,855$29,343
Salary rangeBetween $22,000 And $59,000Between $23,000 And $36,000
Highest paying CityBurlington, VTPortland, ME
Highest paying stateMassachusettsWashington
Best paying companyYale New Haven HealthArizona Training & Evaluation Center
Best paying industryNon ProfitsProfessional

Differences between live in caregiver and direct care worker education

There are a few differences between a live in caregiver and a direct care worker in terms of educational background:

Live In CaregiverDirect Care Worker
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 31%High School Diploma, 32%
Most common majorNursingPsychology
Most common college--

Live in caregiver vs direct care worker demographics

Here are the differences between live in caregivers' and direct care workers' demographics:

Live In CaregiverDirect Care Worker
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 19.2% Female, 80.8%Male, 23.4% Female, 76.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.8% Asian, 7.9% White, 56.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4%Black or African American, 12.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between live in caregiver and direct care worker duties and responsibilities

Live in caregiver example responsibilities.

  • Foster strong companionship and practice careful awareness and compassion.
  • Certify in a and CPR.
  • Tube feed, used hoyer lift, to bathe.
  • Provide quality care and compassion to the elderly
  • Pet care and transportation to vet appointments.
  • Perform housekeeping and laundry tasks, run errands.
  • Show more

Direct care worker example responsibilities.

  • Provide caring companionship to elderly and developmentally disable patients with or without chronic health diagnosis.
  • Assist individuals with developmental/intellectual disabilities with ADL's.
  • Conduct socialization groups to aid individuals in development of ADL and socialization skills.
  • Prepare daily documents administer medications handle patients hygiene house cleaning and provide transportation to and from appointment
  • Provide caring and companionship to elderly and developmentally disable consumers and provide primary resident care and assistance with daily living activities.
  • Provide day to day services that include transport, nutrition, hygiene, housekeeping and activities to MRDD clients.
  • Show more

Live in caregiver vs direct care worker skills

Common live in caregiver skills
  • Companionship, 24%
  • Home Health, 14%
  • CPR, 6%
  • Medication Reminders, 6%
  • Senior Care, 6%
  • Meal Prep, 5%
Common direct care worker skills
  • Direct Care, 22%
  • Patients, 11%
  • CPR, 7%
  • Developmental Disabilities, 4%
  • Crisis Intervention, 4%
  • Vital Signs, 4%

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