Danil
What Nursing/Medical Paths Are Appropriate for Someone With Hands-on Caregiving Experience Supporting a Senior With Agoraphobia?
I would like to clarify that I do not hold any formal nursing or medical licenses or credentials. My experience is informal and referral-based, and includes the following:
• Delivered comprehensive in-home care for a senior client with agoraphobia, facilitating a safe and supportive environment during 6 hour shifts.
• Assisted with activities of daily living, including medication reminders, personal care, meal preparation/support, and accompanied walks.
• Maintained a consistently calm, patient, professional, and positive demeanor while adapting care to the client’s emotional and psychological needs.
• Supported the client with technology use, including smartphones and laptops.
• Assisted with phone calls, text messaging, and online orders, ensuring clear communication and accurate task completion.
• Built trust through reliability, empathy, and respectful companionship, contributing to improved daily functioning and quality of life.
Prior to this role, I also assisted my uncle, who was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. He later expressed his gratitude in a letter, writing: “You have a gift at taking care of people, and perhaps you’ll use it someday in your career.” This experience further reinforced my interest in caregiving and people-centered work.
I am very interested in finding a well-suited career path that allows me to care for the elderly on a regular basis while incorporating the skills and experience listed above.
Thanks for your time and hope you have a safe and great weekend 😇😊
5 answers
Rita Chuang
Rita’s Answer
Most people have jobs and are unable to care for their parents so they put them in a nursing home and you can work there or if the parents want to stay at home, you can be paid to take care of them.
James Hanson
James’s Answer
Vianne Phan
Vianne’s Answer
If you enjoy hands-on care and building trust with older adults, becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or Home Health Aide (HHA) could be a great next step. These roles build on what you’re already doing and allow you to work with seniors daily in homes or care facilities. From there, you might consider becoming a Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN/LPN) or Registered Nurse (RN) if you want more responsibility and better pay. If you're interested in mental health, consider geriatric mental health, psychiatric nursing, or social work focused on older adults.
If you prefer advocacy and emotional support over clinical tasks, think about roles in geriatric care management, case management, or social services. These careers rely on empathy, communication, and patience. Your uncle’s comment shows not everyone has the temperament for this work, but you do. No matter which path you choose, you’ve already shown that caring for people is something you’re good at, and that’s a great place to start.
Caitlin Davis
Caitlin’s Answer
You are off to such a great start. All the different experience you have is fantastic. I think the first step you should take is to get your CNA certification. Once you do that you can even take care of your family members and get paid for it. Instead of hiring a stranger. I also think it sounds like you would make a great occupational therapist. They help people recovering from anything such as a stroke or brain injury, or a broken limb. They assist them in relearning how to do everyday living activities. It sounds like you have a lot of experience with this. It takes patience, understanding, and empathy, which I saw you have in abundance.
Ivy Marsh
Ivy’s Answer
Check w/ nursing homes that memory care units. Another approach could to look into a mental health tech job in a behavioral health hospital.
Another approach could be looking into a medical tech position - these positions work in a variety of settings.
I wish you well!