A primary responsibility of a caregiver is to provide personal care to the patient. This includes personal grooming, dressing, assisting the client to the bathroom, preparing his bed and feeding him. Other personal care responsibilities include driving the patient around and shopping for him. A caregiver risks being accused of neglect if she fails to undertake these responsibilities.
Health care responsibilities involve ensuring the patient complies with medical prescriptions, such as drugs, therapy or routine exercises. The caregiver is also responsible of monitoring changes such as blood pressure, temperature and insulin levels. Other responsibilities include administering drugs (if the caregiver is competent to do this) and filling in any health forms or charts to track the patient's health.
Caregivers are responsible of maintaining hygienic and safe living conditions for the patient. This includes cleaning the house, changing bed sheets and cleaning the patient's clothes. It is also important to ensure that the patient is able to easily and safely access items such as the personal computer, cutlery or grooming tools.
Caregivers, especially those with power of attorney and guardianship rights, are responsible of managing the legal and financial matters of patients. The caregiver may discuss with an attorney matters such as the management and distribution of assets. This is especially important when the patient cannot make decisions of his own due to infirmity.