Values, Beliefs, and Principles
Health Care Assistants are prepared to work in a variety of health care facilities and community agencies. They are important and valued members of the health care team. HCAs promote and maintain the health, safety, independence, comfort and well-being of individuals and families. HCAs provide personal care assistance and services in a caring manner that recognizes and supports the unique needs, abilities and backgrounds of clients and their families. They work as members of a health care team in a variety of settings with direction and supervision from regulated health care professionals.
The work done by HCAs is based on a set of fundamental values, beliefs, and ethical principles that are consistently reflected in all aspects of their work with clients, families, team members, and others. These core values, beliefs, and principles serve as foundations of HCA practice:
- Human beings should be viewed from a holistic perspective.
- Older adults are individuals deserving our respect.
- Health and healing are interconnected.
- Everyone has a right to health care.
- Caring and caregiving are central to HCA practice.
- Family is critical to health and healing.
Human Beings Should Be Viewed from a Holistic Perspective
All people have physical, psychological, cognitive, social, and spiritual dimensions. Everyone has a unique perception of themselves and others that shape their experiences, responses, and choices. Factors that influence a person’s perceptions include one’s life experiences, values, socio-cultural background, gender, abilities, resources, and developmental level.
People are constantly changing as they interact with others and with the world around them. As well, people move through definable developmental transitions as they grow and change across the lifespan. Each developmental transition includes certain developmental tasks, which are defined and influenced by one’s family, culture, gender, and social cohort.
Older Adults Are Individuals Deserving Our Respect
Aging is a normal developmental process of human life. It involves a series of physiological, psychological, and social transitions that start at birth and continue throughout life. As we age, our abilities, potentials, possibilities, and goals can be expected to change. However, each person’s potential for growth and development exists throughout life.
Later adulthood can be a fulfilling and enlightened time of life. For many people, aging gives rise to insight, creativity, and serenity, which can provide the foundation for true self-fulfillment.
Despite social perceptions, older people are not all alike. If anything, people become less similar as they get older. Older adults have a wide variety of interests, life experiences, backgrounds, and values, and each older person must be viewed and valued as a unique individual.
The experience of a long life provides an older person with a special perspective based on years of learning and living. The o