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Sitter vs caregiver assistant

The differences between sitters and caregivers assistant can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a caregiver assistant has an average salary of $30,471, which is higher than the $28,724 average annual salary of a sitter.

The top three skills for a sitter include patients, kids and CPR. The most important skills for a caregiver assistant are compassion, customer service, and senior care.

Sitter vs caregiver assistant overview

SitterCaregiver Assistant
Yearly salary$28,724$30,471
Hourly rate$13.81$14.65
Growth rate36%36%
Number of jobs85,152177,566
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 32%High School Diploma, 34%
Average age4848
Years of experience--

What does a sitter do?

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.

What does a caregiver assistant do?

A caregiver assistant provides care and assistance to elderly patients or those with mobility issues. They usually work at assisted living facilities where they are in charge of helping patients eat, bathe and dress, go to the toilet, take walks in the garden, and drink medicine. They also perform chores such as preparing meals according to nutrition plans, doing the laundry, arranging beds, and maintaining the cleanliness of different areas. Moreover, a caregiver assistant also builds positive relationships with patients to give them emotional support and help them feel comfortable.

Sitter vs caregiver assistant salary

Sitters and caregivers assistant have different pay scales, as shown below.

SitterCaregiver Assistant
Average salary$28,724$30,471
Salary rangeBetween $20,000 And $39,000Between $23,000 And $39,000
Highest paying CityFair Lawn, NJSpokane, WA
Highest paying stateMassachusettsAlaska
Best paying companySouthcoast HealthThe Center for Enriched Living
Best paying industryNon ProfitsNon Profits

Differences between sitter and caregiver assistant education

There are a few differences between a sitter and a caregiver assistant in terms of educational background:

SitterCaregiver Assistant
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 32%High School Diploma, 34%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common college--

Sitter vs caregiver assistant demographics

Here are the differences between sitters' and caregivers assistant' demographics:

SitterCaregiver Assistant
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 13.9% Female, 86.1%Male, 17.6% Female, 82.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 17.3% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 8.0% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 22.0% Asian, 8.4% White, 54.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between sitter and caregiver assistant duties and responsibilities

Sitter example responsibilities.

  • Run groceries or medical errands for patients.
  • Complete light housekeeping duties, such as dishes, folding laundry, buying groceries.
  • Help out with regular ADL's as well such as bathing, ambulating, eating, dressing, and exercise.
  • Assist with ADL's; bathing needs, food prep, exercise, drive and assist with appointments, light housekeeping
  • Provide colostomy care and administer medication for pain management in accordance with current physician recommendations.
  • Help nursing with flushing of catheters with certain residents.
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Caregiver assistant example responsibilities.

  • Assist residents with bathing and other ADL's.
  • Provide care and assistance to private individual including all ADL's.
  • Provide care for residents with special conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer's.
  • Provide assistance for primary caregiver by providing companionship to elderly client.
  • Provide companionship services that stimulate, encourage, and assist seniors.
  • Provide evidence based psychological therapy to patients with common mental health problems.
  • Show more

Sitter vs caregiver assistant skills

Common sitter skills
  • Patients, 26%
  • Kids, 20%
  • CPR, 13%
  • Patient Safety, 6%
  • Home Health, 5%
  • PET, 5%
Common caregiver assistant skills
  • Compassion, 56%
  • Customer Service, 9%
  • Senior Care, 8%
  • Meal Prep, 3%
  • Direct Care, 3%
  • Patients, 2%

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