What does a personal care assistant do?

A companion is responsible for assisting sick and recovered patients, as well as the elderly. Companions perform housekeeping duties, ensuring that a facility is well-maintained and safe for the use of the patients. They also monitor the patients' medication, prepare their meals based on a medical professional's prescription, support them on their daily activities, respond to the patients' needs and special requests as allowed, and report any developments to their family or guardians. A companion must be compassionate enough to extend physical and emotional support, depending on the client's condition.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a personal care assistant are more likely to require skills like "tb testing," "hair care," "resuscitation," and "suturing." On the other hand, a job as a companion requires skills like "provide emotional support," "patient safety," "customer service," and "care plan." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

A sitter is responsible for assisting medical needs under the supervision of an attending physician, registered nurses, and other health professionals. Sitters monitor the patients' daily activities and perform medical duties such as taking the patient's temperature, administering medications, monitoring food intake, helping with bathing needs, and responding to the patients' inquiries, concerns, and requests. They also keep track of medical charts to report the patients' health condition and progress to the senior staff.

Each career also uses different skills, according to real personal care assistant resumes. While personal care assistant responsibilities can utilize skills like "patient care," "tb testing," "direct care," and "hair care," sitters use skills like "kids," "patient safety," "pet," and "allergies."

An attending, ambulatory care is responsible for providing patient care, supporting ongoing treatment of health issues, and managing recovery through coordinating with attending physicians or other medical professionals. They evaluate medical records, including history and consultation purposes, develop a necessary care plan, keep an accurate medical chart, and schedule laboratory tests and follow-up as needed. An attending, ambulatory care must have extensive knowledge of the medical principles and disciplines to monitor the patients' condition and observe medical measures.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from personal care assistant resumes include skills like "home health," "run errands," "tb testing," and "hair care," whereas an attending, ambulatory care is more likely to list skills in "customer service," "quality care," "good judgment," and "rehabilitation. "

A care provider is responsible for assisting patients with their healthcare needs at the highest quality service. Care providers work in various medical organizations or are privately employed by a household. They perform medical procedures such as taking the patient's temperature and vital signs, monitoring their food intake, administering medications, collecting specimens for laboratory tests, and reporting the patient's condition to the attending physician or other health care professionals. A care provider must have excellent communication and organization skills, especially when consulting with patients for their needs and developing healthcare plans.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between personal care assistants and care providers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a personal care assistant might have more use for skills like "home health," "tb testing," "hair care," and "resuscitation." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of care providers require skills like "administer medications," "good judgment," "customer service," and "compassion. "