Every human being on earth needs care. It’s one of the necessities of human life. However, some people need extra care. This “Care” can be in the form of emotional support, physical support, financial support, etc. Whatever form it comes in, it is still regarded as care.
People who need extra fall under different categories. They could be old people, sick people, disabled and so on. These people are those who need assistance in carrying out their normal daily activities.
In this article, we will look at who a caregiver is and the traits they possess. We will then look at the caregiver agencies that abound in Finland, amidst many other essential points. Let’s get started.
Who is a Caregiver?
A caregiver is anyone who assists another individual in carrying out their day-to-day activities. These are people who provide a form of support for another person for them to cope with their daily activities and live a full healthier and happier life.
This person could be a family member, a friend, or a hired hand. This simply means that a caregiver can be paid or not. In most cases, family members are usually not paid while hired hands are usually paid.
As depicted clearly in the name, the primary role of a caregiver is to give care to the individual depending on them. Having looked at who a caregiver is, let’s look at the caregiving industry in Finland
The Caregiving Industry in Finland
Finland, like Italy and Japan, has a high rate of aging population among the OECD countries. Statistics have it that the aged population in Finland has consistently seen growth with each passing year, landing at 23% in 2021.
This growth implies that the number of taxpayers will keep dropping each year. Also, the increasing number of the aging population requires care, and elderly care, among other things, requires funds that come from taxes. It then applies that the Finnish Government has to strategize on ways to combat the dropping workforce and increase the number of taxpayers.
Although the aging population poses a financial challenge for the Finnish Government, private institutions and some government institutions can take advantage of the situation. They can take advantage by providing care or establishing care agencies for the elderly. Families that can afford the care will pay for the care and have their elderly be cared for.
Asides from the elderly, disabled people account for another group that needs care. Disabilities can range from mental to physical disabilities. It is a term that describes all people who can’t care for themselves and need daily assistance. This group contains both children and adults.
Because this group of individuals (both the aging and the disabled) exist, the government has to make provisions to cater to them. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is the body in charge of overseeing the care that these groups get. They also ensure that the policies and regulations stipulated by the Government to protect and cater to these ones are duly kept.
Qualities of a Caregiver
Being a Caregiver is not an easy job and to excel at it, there are certain qualities that you have to possess. These qualities are:
- Patience: this quality must not be lacking because there are times that the dependent may act in ways that are not pleasant. It takes patience to cope with them on those unpleasant days.
- Empathy: empathy talks about feeling what the other person feels. What fuels your patience is empathy. If you understand and feel what the dependent feels, that will help you be patient with the dependent.
- Communication: to have a good relationship with the dependent, communication should be paramount. There has to be an understanding between both parties for the arrangement to work and be successful; contributing to the wholesome care and healing of the dependent.
- Friendliness: to have a quality relationship with anyone, friendliness has to be present. Being easy to relate to. This works alongside offering care. A person who can easily communicate care is highly friendly.
- Time management: this is an important skill and quality that a caregiver must possess. About 90% of the time, the dependent needs medications that are time bound. Being able to manage your time and maintain the time as prescribed by the doctor for the medications the dependent takes is important. So, a caregiver must possess this great quality to function optimally.
These are some of the qualities that a caregiver must possess to have a successful career in the caregiving industry. If you also find out that you have these qualities, you can explore a career path as a Caregiver.
Caregiver Agencies in Finland
Owing to the increase in the number of the aged in the country, caregiver agencies in Finland also rise to match the growth. Bear in mind that some families choose to care for their elderly. This will also downplay the number of caregiving agencies in the country. In this article, we will only address 3 of them. They are chosen and written in no particular order.
- Life Assistant
- Helppy
- ProHoiva
Life Assistant
This is an agency that offers caregiving services amidst other services they render in different locations in Finland. Their caregiving services are offered in partnership with the dependents, which is based on their needs and wishes.
Helppy
Helppy is a home care service founded by Richard Nordstrom. It was borne out of his frustrations from the kind of home care that his mother got from the care providers. Having experienced first-hand the shortcomings of the care providers caring for his mum, he started his home care service to provide the kind of care he wanted his mum to get. His mum became his first client and that quality care, he is offering to others.
ProHoiva
This is a Finnish family business founded by Promise Nwagu. Their value is to bring joy to the elderly to whom they offer care and they do this with the Christian life and principles as their guide. It is also a place where professionals are ready to give wholesome care to the elderly.
Conclusion
Caregivers are individuals who care for people who need help going about their daily activities properly. Do you like to care for another person? Then, becoming a caregiver could be a job for you.
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