Shouldn’t care work come with appropriate boundaries?

Looking after somebody else can be a tough way to earn money. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about little kids, people who are unwell, or the elderly; it takes a lot of dedication to turn up and do a job that a lot of people couldn’t cope with day after day. It is a true public service.

That being said, just because these kinds of roles can be hard doesn’t mean that they should be performed without limits. In fact, it makes it all the more important that safeguarding and strong boundaries are in place. These types of work can quickly become exploitative without that, and everybody deserves a workplace where they feel like their needs are considered.

Making sure that their opinion matters is a challenge that all employees face, no matter where they work, but it is especially important when doing any kind of care. The needs of the client have to come first in so many matters that it can be easy for lines to be crossed when they shouldn’t be. Communicating what is and isn’t acceptable (as well as what conforms to the work contract) is an absolute must.