Care provider sees increase in demand for male-only care
In an industry that’s considered to be heavily female-dominated, in-home care provider Visiting Angels is receiving requests from numerous clients for all-male care. Hammad Cheema, Managing Director for the West London office of the care franchise, has been introducing male carers to the team to meet the demand. Hammad is proud to be offering the personalised service with his superstar team.
“As the year has drawn on, with elderly people having to shield, clients have been more specific on choosing their caregiver. Clients want carers with a similar personality to themselves, as well as hobbies and interests to give them that much-needed interaction throughout their visit - our male clients have been asking for those who love rugby, golf and gardening. I’m proud to now be offering that tailored approach to our service and it feels great to be addressing the balance between male and female carers too.”
‘Choose your caregiver’ is a Visiting Angels initiative that allows clients to pick who they would like to attend their visits. It’s been an extremely important part of their success as a franchise network, doubling in size during 2020. The initiative has received increasing attention as clients crave that precious one-to-one time – for some, their carer might be the only person they’re interacting with all day. For their team of caregivers, it gives more satisfaction too.
Shahzil Khan joined the West & South West London team when they first launched in February 2020. As a biological science student, he has a deep-rooted passion to help others, with Visiting Angels providing the platform where he can offer quality care to those who need it. After spending many years studying, Shahzil believes that offering healthcare doesn’t primarily revolve around educational or technical care knowledge.
“I think the ability to develop trust and understanding between yourself and a client is a key factor in working in healthcare,” Shahzil explained. “For that, it requires passion and compassion, two characteristics that I believe are a necessity in this particular environment. Clients of a certain age often have a preference or feel more comfortable with a carer of the same gender. The best employers and care providers recognise this and welcome male applicants to the role of care giver.
“It’s clear that the care industry is mostly female-dominated, which may lead people to believe that those duties are less suited for males and can often discourage people from getting involved. However, I believe everybody has a gift and duty to help others, and men should not be deterred from joining this career based on this misconception.”
Although he’s only been with the team for a short while, Shahzil is confident that he wants to continue working in the care industry when he graduates – this is where he believes he will be able to shine.
“Even in the short time I’ve been a carer, I’ve already learnt so much. It’s a field that will continue to challenge everyone involved, but the rewards completely outweigh any of that. This is one of the main reasons why I love being a caregiver.”
If you’re looking for a business that meets the care demands for clients across the UK, visit www.visitingangelsfranchise.co.uk for more information.
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Editor’s notes:
For more information, or to speak with Hammad or Shahzil, please contact Liam on 07395 641 523 or liam@revpr.co.uk
Images attached: Shahzil Khan, caregiver at Visiting Angels.