The Role of a Caregiver in Long Term Care

Caregivers play a vital role in resident care and happiness. They provide hands-on support to residents every day, often developing close relationships with not just their residents but their family members too. On a day-to-day basis, caregivers may be responsible for the majority of comfort care and personal care. Personal caregiving activities include helping with various things the resident is no longer able to do unassisted. Basic caregiver duties could include:

  • Bathing and grooming
  • Laundry and helping with dressing
  • Food shopping and prep
  • Light housekeeping
  • Managing medications
  • Transportation
  • Mobility assistance
  • Companionship and emotional support
  • Communicating with doctors and monitoring medications
  • How to Become a Caregiver

How to Become a Long Term Care Caregiver

Caregivers must be at least 18 years of age and shall have sufficient communication and language skills to enable them to perform their duties and interact effectively with clients and other agency staff. All caregivers must receive all training necessary to ensure they are able to competently provide the level of care they will be assigned to provide, which may include training to the level of classification type if the caregiver provides that level of care. The services shall be provided as requested by the client or the client’s representatives in accordance with these rules and the service plan. Caregivers must complete an agency-specific orientation, conducted by the agency administrator, administrator’s designee, or administrator’s delegate before independently providing services to clients. The orientation shall be a minimum of four hours, obtained online or in person. Read more about Oregon’s requirements for becoming a caregiver here.

Find a Caregiver Job in Long Term Care

Our job board shows openings at long term care providers throughout Oregon.

View Job Openings Here

Wage Expectations

View wage data for Oregon long term care caregivers here.