What Is a Direct Care Giver?

Direct care givers are a growing group of service providers who assist people in their home or a facility with activities of daily living such as personal care, grooming, medication needs or meal preparation.

Identification

• Direct care givers provide a wide array of assistance including personal hygiene, household chores, assistance with medications and reading to the patient. They can provide a respite for the primary caregiver and care while someone is ill or dying.

Types

• Direct care is available in homes, hospitals, nursing facilities and adult foster care centers. Providers can be untrained but with the ability to care for others and follow individual care plans, or they can be trained as nurses or home health aides.

Clientele

• Direct care primarily focuses on the aging population, but people of any age can require assistance. Patients could include someone recovering from an injury who needs only temporary care or someone who may benefit from continued care.

Pay Range

• The growing demand for direct care givers has not resulted in a substantial pay increase. As of 2009, the average pay ranged from under $8 to around $10 per hour.

Potential

• According to Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute, an additional one million direct care givers will be needed by 2016 to meet the demand. Direct care is one of the fastest growing areas of the workforce.