What is domiciliary care?
What is domiciliary care?
Domiciliary care is provided to people who still live in their own homes but who require additional support with household tasks, personal care or any other activity that allows them to maintain their independence and quality of life. Anyone at any stage of life could require domiciliary care including those with learning disabilities, mental health problems, sensory impairment or physical disabilities. As a domiciliary care worker you will be an essential part of their daily routine and the person you are assisting is relying on you to maintain their independence.
The standards apply to anyone who receives personal care in their own home, and broadly speaking they state that each individual has complex and unique needs which require a tailored care service. These national minimum standards are monitored and maintained by the CQC (Care Quality Commission). See our latest CQC report here!
What does a domiciliary care worker do?
The role of the domiciliary care worker is very similar to that of a community care assistant, and the job titles can sometimes be interchangeable depending on the requirements of the position. You will be visiting people in their own homes to assist with household tasks, some personal care and occasionally accompanying the client on visits such as to the doctor or hospital. There are also domiciliary care workers that work nights offering assistance to clients who require around the clock care.
All people are different, just as people's needs vary according to their situation. As a domiciliary care worker you could be providing a full range of personal care from assisting with washing and dressing in the morning to aiding with toileting during the day. On a different day you might be assisting someone who is fully mobile but has dementia and requires assistance with cooking and cleaning or it could be taking someone out into the community, we do it all! There is a great deal of variety in domiciliary care work, and it's perfect if you like changing situations that can challenge you.
To be a domiciliary care worker you need to have a genuine interest in helping people to maintain their quality of life and independence regardless of the potential barriers they face. You must be patient, kind and sympathetic to the difficulties that an individual faces. You are there to facilitate their independence much as possible and encouraging their wellbeing at the same time. It's also essential you recognise your limitations in your role. As a domiciliary care worker you will never have to administer medications (unless you have been specifically trained to do so) or provide nursing care to a person, so you should understand that these situations require communication from you to your manager in order that the individual's need can be addressed by an appropriately trained person.
