Le 8 April 2022

Job profile: Home care assistant and home help

A true physical and psychological support for elderly, sick or struggling people, home care assistants or social life assistants play an essential role in our society. Their mission is to provide support to these people in their daily lives by intervening directly at their homes. To benefit from a life assistant, you must contact the town hall of the dependent person's place of residence which will direct you to local organizations. Financial aid can be granted to elderly and dependent people to finance the life assistant's salary. In case of disability, you should contact the MDPH (Departmental House for Disabled Persons).

Table of Contents:

The work attire of Home Care Assistants

The Social Life Assistant (or SLA) is a social agent of the territorial civil service, employed by a municipality or by a municipal social action center (MSAC). The latter has the particular role of fighting against exclusion of people in difficulty, accompanying elderly people and supporting people suffering from disabilities. SLAs can also be employed by private companies, retirement homes, work in hospital settings or practice independently. They are not authorized to provide nursing care. Unlike the social life assistant, the home care agent is not qualified to care for disabled people. As part of their mission, personal care professionals have every interest in equipping themselves with clothing similar to those used for example by nursing assistants. While the classic smock seems perfectly suited, there are also many models of tunics appropriate for home care assistants. Brands like Lafont, SNV or Hasson also offer pants that are durable and comfortable for paramedical professionals. Work shoes and accessories can also help you effectively complete your outfit.

The required skills and expertise of home care assistants

In direct contact with dependent and fragile people, home care professionals must be naturally altruistic and patient. Although it is still sometimes possible to enter this profession without a diploma, it is recommended to obtain a State Diploma in Educational and Social Support (SDESS) with the specialty "home life support" in order to be best prepared. The professional must be able to provide both moral and social support while remaining attentive to the needs of the person in their care. It is preferable to be organized, empathetic and especially versatile to quickly move from one task to another according to the needs of the dependent person. A driver's license is almost essential given the frequency of travel required. The average salary of a home care assistant ranges between 1600 and 2000 euros gross per month (or between 1250 and 1560 euros net), but this can increase after several years of experience through training that allows acquiring team leader skills.

The missions of personal care professionals

The nature of tasks assigned to home care assistants varies according to the degree of autonomy of the elderly, sick or disabled person in their care. They must obviously assist this person with all the difficulties they encounter in daily life. This can range from house maintenance (household chores, laundry, ironing, small repair work...) to assistance with physical and hygiene autonomy (mobility, dressing, washing, waking/bedtime) including grocery shopping and meal assistance. The role of home care assistants can also extend to recreational activities (reading, conversations, comfort, etc.) in order to stimulate the person psychologically and intellectually. They must also be able to diagnose emergency situations.

The objective is to preserve as much as possible the patient's social connection with their surroundings by also helping them with their administrative procedures, managing their budget or organizing their medical appointments. All of this must obviously be done in coordination with other services if the personal care professional is not the only caregiver. Finally, in the presence of a person who is unable to act or decide alone, the social life assistant must know how to remain vigilant to prevent any abuse or mistreatment of vulnerable persons.

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