Healthcare Assistant job questions

Fuh Q

Im planing a career in Healthcare Support, Im waiting to hear if I have a place on a part time course and I have some questions about when I get a job if anyone can help ?

Is there a shortage of male carers ?

What rate of pay can I expect ?

Is there a difference in pay rates depending on where I work ? for example if I work in a nursing home or day care centre will I get better paid than home help ?

Will I find it difficult to get a full time position with very little experience ?

If I do further training in a specific area will that help with getting a more stable position with better pay ?

Can anyone advise me on what area is the best direction for me to go ? special needs, dementia, elderly care ect ?

Any advice welcome, thanks..

Fuh Q

Its been a couple of days since I posted this and no replies, can anyone help me with this ?

shamrock55

Its been a while since the last post, but i would be interested in the answers to these questions too

qwertyabcd

Its a female dominated job but men are a huge help when it comes to the lifting (obviously we use the right techniques and equipment) and if you are the right fit for the nursing home you could be a vital asset, some female residents are weary of male care assistants at first but this all settles once the get to know you (a quick chat can work miracles). Starting pay with a Fetac 5 qualification is usually €10 per hour.

My mum runs a nursing home so message me if you need more info.

shamrock55

Cheers qwerty,, thanks for that will do;)

RoRo979

bump for additional inputs

Clan Gael

Money is normally better working for HSE or for an agency like CPL, NUVO etc, than working in a private nursing home ( at least in my experience).Harder to get into HSE than an agency, but check the HSE website for jobs or contact an agency to see how to get on their books.

NCW feen

What kind of tasks would you be doing on a daily basis and are there many job opportunities at the minute for healthcare support assistants?

caipin

Fuh Q wrote: »

Its been a couple of days since I posted this and no replies, can anyone help me with this ?

Hi, I've been a carer for over 6 years so may be able to offer some input!

There are about 15 male carers in the nursing home where I work, which is a lot higher than anywhere I've worked before. So definitely far less than female but very appreciated especially in cases of aggressive/sexually inappropriate behaviour.

I've only ever worked with private organisations and my pay has ranged from 10-12.50. I know that with agencies the pay is far higher, I just prefer knowing my routine and knowing my residents and colleagues, etc., so I avoid it. I did home help for a short time and while the pace was much nicer it just wasn't financially enough for me. You're paid by the visit, not the hour, and most visits are half an hour. In the end, I'd be working from 8-8/9pm but not getting paid for all those hours. Not for me. You could always do night shifts though and in that case you would get paid hourly.

As long as you have your qualification there should be no hassle getting a job, even with little experience. Carers are always needed.

There isn't much of a career progression in caring. You could work somewhere and gain experience and apply to be a senior carer with slightly better pay if it's offered, but after that you're talking about heading down the nursing road.

caipin

NCW feen wrote: »

What kind of tasks would you be doing on a daily basis and are there many job opportunities at the minute for healthcare support assistants?

It depends on the area you're working in. For example, a day centre may be more activity based while working in a nursing home would include that plus assistance with meals, personal hygiene, and continence care. Think of everything you do for yourself on a daily basis, that is exactly what you would be doing for the majority.

NCW feen

Is healthcarejobs.ie the best place to look for jobs in this sector?

caipin

NCW feen wrote: »

Is healthcarejobs.ie the best place to look for jobs in this sector?

Any time I've been looking for a job I've either emailed the company directly stating my interest or looked at the positions available on jobs.ie or indeed.ie etc. They will usually advertise on many platforms.