(source: New Straits Times)
Nowadays, people are busy at work and don’t have the time or more energy to take care of their loved ones and home. At this moment, they could hire a maid or caregiver to solve these problems and hence they are able to focus on their career for bringing home the bacon. Here a question arises whether we should hire a Caregiver or a Maid? What is the difference between Caregiver and Maid? There are 4 differences between a Caregiver and a Maid for the families to make a right decision.
1. Job Scope and Description
The main responsibility of caregiver is to ensure the well-being of the care recipient by focusing their attention and energy to provide 24/7 care and support. The caregiver provides assistance with daily activities, including preparing meals according to the individual service plan, feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, transferring and getting to and from activities, dispensing medication, companionship and continence. The caregiver not only able to manage the needs of the care recipient, they can take care of personal hygiene of care recipient by giving assistance in light housework.
The main responsibility of maid is to do household chores to maintain the cleanliness of the home, including cleaning tasks, laundering clothing, ironing and cooking for the whole family unit. The maid’s duties are more focusing on the home, rather than giving care for an individual.
2. Experiences and Skill Sets
The skills sets required for a caregiver and a maid are different because of the difference in job scope and description. Let’s see what is the difference of skill sets required between caregiver and maid.
A caregiver requires to be trained or educated, including a caregiver course, assistance in nursing course, diploma or a degree. The experiences they have are caring the elderly or patients. On the other hand, any formal or professional training or education is unnecessary for a maid. A maid may have some basic skills and experiences of cleaning to keep the house clean and comfortable.
3. Language Skills
Languages is important to a caregiver for speaking and reading especially English. They have to manage and dispense the medication with detailed descriptions and communicate effectively with the care recipients and their family. This may help a caregiver to work effectively as they can understand the needs of the care recipient, build a harmonious relationship with the care recipients, and follow the instructions from the family.
A maid requires only the basic language for speaking to complete the assigned tasks. The longer time they spend in the households, they may gradually learn the spoken language.
4. Cost of Service
The cost of caregiver services in Malaysia ranges from around RM25 to RM30 per hour or more than RM4,500 per month. The cost might vary depends on medical condition of the patients or the requirement of clients. In contrast, the cost to hire a maid through employment agency in Malaysia is between RM12,000 and RM18,000 or RM28 per hour. Definitely, the cost might vary depends on the geographical location, type of house and sessions. The price given above for your reference only.
Conclusion
Bear in mind that caregiver is totally different with maid in the job scopes, qualifications and knowledges. Before hiring a caregiver or a maid, you should know your needs and requirements. If you hope to find someone for looking after your loved ones, a caregiver is the best choice for you. If you hope to find someone for household chores, a maid is recommended for you.
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