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Sitter vs elderly caregiver

The differences between sitters and elderly caregivers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an elderly caregiver has an average salary of $37,109, 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 an elderly caregiver are adaptive, oral care, and companionship.

Sitter vs elderly caregiver overview

SitterElderly Caregiver
Yearly salary$28,724$37,109
Hourly rate$13.81$17.84
Growth rate36%36%
Number of jobs85,15271,532
Job satisfaction-3
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 32%High School Diploma, 33%
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 an elderly caregiver do?

An Elderly Caregiver provides personal and emotional support to people who cannot look after themselves. They are either hired by a client or their family, or report directly to a physician or a nurse.

Sitter vs elderly caregiver salary

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

SitterElderly Caregiver
Average salary$28,724$37,109
Salary rangeBetween $20,000 And $39,000Between $23,000 And $59,000
Highest paying CityFair Lawn, NJNew York, NY
Highest paying stateMassachusettsConnecticut
Best paying companySouthcoast HealthCARE
Best paying industryNon ProfitsHealth Care

Differences between sitter and elderly caregiver education

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

SitterElderly Caregiver
Most common degreeHigh School Diploma, 32%High School Diploma, 33%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common college--

Sitter vs elderly caregiver demographics

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

SitterElderly Caregiver
Average age4848
Gender ratioMale, 13.9% Female, 86.1%Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5%
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, 10.3% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 21.4% Asian, 7.4% White, 55.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between sitter and elderly caregiver 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.
  • Show more

Elderly caregiver example responsibilities.

  • Care include dressing, assisting with activities of daily living (ADL )
  • Assist w/bathing, personal hygiene laundry, housecleaning, ADL, and daily bed linen changing ....
  • Provide compassionate care to cognitively impair patients including but not limit to Alzheimer's patients and patients with dementia.
  • Help them build confidence providing companionship and conversation to have a normal lifestyle
  • Provide companionship for elderly individual, accompany patients to doctor appointment or other appointments as needed.
  • Keep information confidential according to HIPPA regulations.

Sitter vs elderly caregiver skills

Common sitter skills
  • Patients, 26%
  • Kids, 20%
  • CPR, 13%
  • Patient Safety, 6%
  • Home Health, 5%
  • PET, 5%
Common elderly caregiver skills
  • Adaptive, 23%
  • Oral Care, 16%
  • Companionship, 13%
  • CPR, 9%
  • RUN Errands, 8%
  • In-Home Care, 7%

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