Companion

About this occupation

Companions perform housekeeping duties and meal preparation for the people they assist on their own premises such as elderly people or people with special needs or who suffer from an illness. They also provide entertainment activities such as playing cards or reading stories. They may do shopping activities as well as punctual transportation to doctor's appointments, etc.

• Plan, purchase, prepare, or serve meals to patients or other family members, according to prescribed diets.
• Care for patients by changing bed linens, washing and ironing laundry, cleaning, or assisting with their personal care.
• Bathe patients.
• Maintain records of patient care, condition, progress, or problems to report and discuss observations with supervisor or case manager.
• Provide patients with help moving in and out of beds, baths, wheelchairs, or automobiles and with dressing and grooming.
• Check patients' pulse, temperature, and respiration.

Preparation

Job Zone 2 of 5

Interests

Social, Realistic, Conventional

Top skills: Service Orientation, Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Time Management

Subjects this work relies on

How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).

• PsychologyO*NET: PsychologyVery important (4.2)
• English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageVery important (3.5)
• SociologyO*NET: Sociology and AnthropologyImportant (3.2)
• Foreign LanguageO*NET: Foreign LanguageImportant (3.1)
• Government and PoliticsO*NET: Law and GovernmentImportant (3.0)

O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Preparation needed

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Education

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Training

Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.