Showing gratitude to care professionals can save lives!

It goes without saying that if a care professional does an exceptional job you should say 'thank you' and acknowledge it. These signs of gratitude really do make a difference and it is really important that we take just a little time to show that we have recognised the value of care professionals.

People in society normally understand the importance of showing gratitude but this is particularly important in a care setting. You might ask yourself 'Why?' Care professionals are, arguably, the least appreciated and most under-valued workers in the health and social care sector. It became apparent during the pandemic lock-downs what a vital role a care professional plays in providing support for some of the most vulnerable members of society. The clap for the NHS and carers initiative produced a monumental shift in the perception of the role of a care professional. The harsh reality of the impact of the pandemic on our care homes and its residents was plain for all to see. And the key role played by care professionals manifested itself in a huge acknowledgement by the British public of how critical this role really is.

At the CareTech Foundation, we are all too aware of how critical it is that service providers recognise the importance of showing gratitude to care professionals. It can easily be argued that it is one of the most challenging jobs in society. Care professionals are there for residents at their greatest hour of need. Yes, there are residents and family members that recognise the critical role of care professionals and who do show gratitude. We should not have to go through a pandemic to recognise these efforts. It is important to show gratitude to care professionals all of the time; they do a phenomenal job and deserve to receive recognition for their often-extraordinary efforts all year around.

At the Foundation, we have the upmost respect for care professionals and it is a key part of our mission to champion their role in caring for those most in need. We believe care professionals should be shown gratitude and celebrated at every opportunity.

Beyond basic decency, there is a strong business case for ensuring recognition of the efforts of care professionals. Showing gratitude reduces career burnout and increases employment retention rates. With over 105,000 vacancies in the care sector being advertised daily, we really cannot afford to lose key staff members. A key part of this is properly recognising their efforts. This means rewarding excellence and providing care professionals with decent salaries and benefits, so they want to remain in the sector.

When you show gratitude, you show you care and appreciate the value of the person and/or their work. By showing gratitude to care professionals you achieve so much - you make that person feel appreciated and you are letting them know that you care. When a person feels appreciated they give more and can even go the extra mile. The quality of their effort and care grows exponentially and the biggest winners are those for whom we care. Care professionals play a vital role in our society and it is critical that we show gratitude because rewarded effort and work can in a care setting can literally save lives.

We at the Foundation want everyone to show gratitude to carers - not just on special awareness days but always!