A day as a social and health care worker

Your work takes place close to people in vulnerable situations – in their own home or in a care facility. This places great demands on both your professional skills and your approach. A good day is not just about completing the tasks, but about how you meet the citizen along the way.

§Personal care

Education courses

§Help for self-help and rehabilitation

One of the most important principles in your profession is help towards self-help. Instead of taking over tasks the citizen can handle themselves you support the citizen in doing as much as possible themselves. It may take longer but it preserves functions self-esteem and quality of life. Rehabilitation means that together you work towards the citizen regaining or maintaining the ability to manage everyday tasks.

§Practical help and everyday life

Beyond care, you help with practical tasks that make daily life function: light cleaning, laundry, help with meals and shopping. Mealtimes are often one of the day's most important moments — not just nutrition but also social interaction and something to look forward to. You help create calm, cosiness and a good setting around the meal.

§Observation—your eyes and ears

You are often the one who sees the citizen most, and therefore you are the eyes and ears of the health service in the home. You notice changes: is the citizen eating less, does the skin appear dry, are there signs of developing pressure sores, is the citizen more tired or confused than usual? Your observations can be the first step in detecting illness early, and therefore it is important that you pass them on to the nurse and write them in the documentation.

• 01Changes in appetite, weight and fluid intake.
• 02Signs of pressure sores, redness, or wounds on the skin.
• 03Changed behaviour: confusion, restlessness, sadness or pain.
• 04Fever, cough, breathing and general condition.

§Communication and the good meeting

Much of your work is communication. You meet people with dementia, with grief, with pain or with reluctance to get help. Listening, speaking calmly, explaining and giving the user time creates security. With users with dementia, your patience and calm demeanour often mean more than words. You also collaborate with relatives, who may be worried or frustrated, and here your ability to listen and explain is worth its weight in gold.

§Documentation and collaboration

Everything you observe and carry out must be documented, so that your colleagues, the nurse and other professional groups can keep track of the citizen's condition. Good documentation is brief, factual and action-oriented. You rarely work alone professionally: you are part of an interdisciplinary team with nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, doctors and relatives. Your contribution is indispensable, because you know the citizen's everyday life best.