Visiting Homemakers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations (NOC 6471)
Description
Visiting homemakers provide ongoing or short-term home support services for individuals and families during periods of incapacitation, convalescence or family disruption. They are employed by government, non-profit and home care agencies, or are self-employed. Housekeepers perform housekeeping and other home management duties in private households and other residential establishments. Companions provide elderly and convalescent clients with companionship and personal care in residential or institutional settings. They are employed by home care agencies or may be self-employed. Foster parents care for children or family members in their homes under the direction of a foster parent agency.
Return to top
Example Titles
- companion
- foster parent
- home support worker
- housekeeper
- personal aide
- personal care attendant
- visiting homemaker
>> View all titles
Return to top
Classified Elsewhere
- Babysitters, Nannies and Parents' Helpers (6474)
- Housekeepers who are house cleaners (in 6661 Light Duty Cleaners)
Return to top
Duties
Visiting homemakers perform some or all of the following duties:
- Care for individuals and families during periods of incapacitation, convalescence or family disruption
- Administer bedside and personal care to clients such as aid in walking, bathing, personal hygiene, and dressing and undressing
- Plan and prepare meals and special diets, and feed or assist in feeding clients
- Demonstrate infant care to new parents
- May perform routine health-related duties such as change non-sterile dressings, administer medications and collect specimens under the general direction of home care agency supervisor or nurse
- May perform routine housekeeping duties such as laundry, washing dishes and making beds.
Housekeepers perform some or all of the following duties:
- Perform housekeeping and other home management duties under general direction of employer
- Plan and prepare meals independently or with employer, and may serve meals
- May care for children.
Companions perform some or all of the following duties:
- Provide elderly and convalescent clients with companionship and personal care in client's home under general direction of home care agency supervisor or family members
- Aid clients with walking, bathing and other aspects of personal hygiene.
Foster parents perform some or all of the following duties:
- Care for foster children, usually on an emergency or temporary basis, as family members under general direction of foster parent agency
- Consult foster parent agency supervisors for advice and when problems arise
- Administer therapeutic programs for foster children, as directed by foster agency social workers.
Return to top
Skills
Visiting homemakers and housekeeping attendants need the following characteristics:
- compassion for people who are incapable of caring for themselves,
- good physical and mental health and emotional stability,
- maturity and dependability,
- patience and understanding of individual needs,
- ability to keep client information confidential,
- honesty,
- good oral communication skills and persuasiveness in dealing with clients or their families,
- be well organized and able to work independently,
- ability to follow established rules and guidelines for their work,
- clean working habits,
- ability to read and carry out written or verbal instructions,
- skills in cooking, cleaning, doing laundry.
Return to top
Employment Requirements
- Employers can require a range of education, from some high school to high school completion and/or some college education. A current criminal record check is required.
- Most employers require visiting homemakers and home support workers to have a Health Care Aid certificate.
- First aid and CPR certification may be required.
Return to top
Terms & Conditions
The working conditions of this group vary greatly. Domestic workers may live in the household where they work or they may come in at regularly scheduled times, usually during weekday daytime hours. Live-in workers generally have their own living quarters and are more likely to be on call or experience irregular hours.
Homemakers and personal care attendants may work in one location or they may travel from one place to another to provide services to several clients in a day. Caregivers who schedule their own appointments usually need their own means of transportation. Some agencies offer 24-hour service and shift work (including weekends) may be required. Housekeeping duties can be physically demanding. Caring for clients, particularly those who are elderly or immobile can be strenuous. Conditions vary from place to place. Some homes are clean and tidy while others are not. Some clients are cooperative while others may be difficult.
Part time work is very common (41%) in this occupation. There are limited opportunities for self-employment.
Return to top
Earnings
$20,800 per annum - starting
$26,500 per annum - average
$37,200 per annum - high
Earnings are reviewed annually or more frequently if new information becomes available.
Return to top
Education / Training
- The following post-secondary institutions in Manitoba offer Health Care Aid certificate programs -
- Assiniboine Community College,
- École technique et professionnelle,
- Red River College, and
- the University College of the North.
- The following private vocational institutions in Manitoba offer programs in this field -
- College of Health and Family Support Studies of Winnipeg - Health Care Aide,
- Health Services Support Worker (Dietary, Laundry and Housekeeping Aide), Home Support Worker.
- Robertson College - Personal Support Worker (Health Care Aide).
- Some high schools in Manitoba offer a program in Health and Child Care Occupations.
Return to top
Career Paths
People in these occupations may move to positions requiring a different level of care and responsibility.
Housekeepers may move to personal care or visiting homemaker jobs with additional training. Some individuals may become nannies or house cleaners.
With experience home care workers may become supervisors and program managers.
Return to top
Outlook
Employment prospects for visiting homemakers, housekeepers, and related occupations are expected to be good in the period 2010 to 2014. This is a large occupational group positively affected by labour market trends and high replacement needs. Employment in Manitoba in 2010 is estimated at 5,500.
There are a number of factors that influence the demand for homecare services. The aging population will have more health problems and require more personal care services. Patients are moved out of hospitals as early as possible. Shorter hospital stays increase the reliance on home care for patients of all ages. Advances in medical technologies enable more treatments to be administered at home. In many cases medical care and convalescence are cheaper, more effective, and more desirable at home than in institutions. Even elderly citizens who are not sick often need support services to be able to remain in their own homes. This alleviates some of the pressure of long waiting lists for personal care facility spaces.
A high rate of employee turnover will create additional openings. The age profile for this occupation indicates a labour force older than the average for all occupations. As the work is often physically demanding, there will be a significant number of vacancies caused by attrition.
The majority work in Health Care and Social Assistance (75%) and a very small minority in Farms (11%) and Other Services (except Public Administration) (7%). There are relatively more jobs in Northern Manitoba, Parklands region and South Central Manitoba and fewer in Winnipeg, when compared to the distribution for all occupations.
Return to top
Employment by Age Group
Return to top
Employment by Industry
Return to top
Employment by Region
Return to top
Employment by Gender
Return to top
Employment by Aboriginal Self-Identification
Return to top
Employment by Visible Minority
Return to top
Please Note - The source for above charts is the 2006 Census.
Professional Associations, Unions, and Regulatory Bodies...
Return to top