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What Is the Difference Between a Carer and a Senior Carer?
Date Updated: January 3, 2025
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Sarah has produced thousands of articles in diverse niches over her decade-long career as a full-time freelance writer. This includes substantial content in the fields of senior care and health care. She has experience writing about wide-ranging topics, such as types of care, care costs, funding options, state Medicaid programs and senior resources.
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Dr. Brindusa Vanta is a health care professional, researcher, and an experienced medical writer (2000+ articles published online and several medical ebooks). She received her MD degree from “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine, Romania, and her HD diploma from OCHM – Toronto, Canada.
The difference between a carer and a senior carer often relates to the age of those receiving care and the specialized training caregivers receive. However, these terms can also refer to the caregiver's level of responsibility and experience.
Carer Versus Senior Carer: Care Recipient Age
A carer provides practical support and assistance to people of any age with functional care needs. That said, caregivers specialize in particular types of care work, such as home care, palliative care, and youth support.
Senior carers serve older adults. They work in various settings, including in an individual’s home via an in-home care agency, an assisted living residence, or in a dementia care community. Senior caregivers receive training centered around working with older members of the community. Depending on their workplace, their duties might include:
- Domestic tasks, such as household cleaning and laundry
- Meal preparation
- Ambulation and transferring assistance
- Support with everyday living activities, such as toileting and maintaining personal hygiene
- Companionship
- Facilitating activity programs
Carer Versus Senior Carer: Professional Status
The term 'senior carer' is also used to indicate a higher professional status among caregivers. For example, the senior team member often supervises other staff members, delegates tasks, completes team briefings, and monitors new employees. They may also contribute to developing workplace policies, creating shift schedules, and investigating complaints. These roles typically require greater skill and proficiency.
A regular carer usually gains extensive experience in their role before advancing to a senior position, which comes with increased responsibilities and duties. They may also undertake additional training and gain industry-relevant qualifications. However, several types of nonprofessional carers include volunteer companions and informal caregivers, who are often related to the individuals they assist.