Personal Care and Assistance
Course Description
This practical course offers students the opportunity to acquire personal care and assistance skills within the parameters of the HCA role. The course comprises class and supervised laboratory experiences, which assist the student to integrate theory from other courses to develop caregiver skills that maintain and promote the comfort, safety, and independence of clients in community and facility contexts.
Minimum course hours: 120
Learning Outcomes
- Perform personal care skills in an organized manner ensuring the comfort and appropriate independence of the client:
- 1.1 Organize and implement care according to client needs.
- 1.2 Encourage independence of the client as much as possible.
- 1.3 Encourage client communication and engagement during personal care.
- 1.4 Maintain client privacy and dignity.
- 1.5 Assist the client with personal hygiene and grooming.
- 1.6 Assist the client with movement and ambulation.
- 1.7 Use aids to promote comfort, relaxation, and sleep.
- 1.8 Take and record vital signs accurately (temperature, pulse, respirations).
- 1.9 Assist the client with eating and drinking.
- 1.10 Assist the client with medication as per the client’s care plan. (HCAs are not permitted to administer medication by any method without regulated health professional authorization).
- 1.11 Provide specialized, sensitive care for the dying client in line with palliative care principles.
- Apply an informed problem-solving process to the provision of care and assistance:
- 2.1 Observe the client and situation.
- 2.2 Observe for changes in the client’s health status.
- 2.3 Identify priorities for care within the care plan.
- 2.4 Use appropriate health care team members as resources to augment one’s own problem-solving and decision-making.
- 2.5 Follow the care plan for each client.
- 2.6 Conduct caregiving or assisting activities.
- 2.7 Reflect on and evaluate effectiveness of care or assistance.
- 2.8 Carry out recording requirements.
- 2.9 Use creativity and flexibility when required to adapt care and assistance to a variety of contexts.
- Provide personal care and assistance within the parameters of the HCA role:
- 3.1 Comply with the legal parameters of practice for the HCA role.
- 3.2 Collaborate with other members of the health care team.
- 3.3 Use appropriate lines of communication.
- 3.4 Demonstrate dependability, reliability, honesty, and integrity.
- 3.5 Adhere to the client’s activities of daily living (ADL) and care plan.
- Provide care and assistance in ways that maintain safety for self and others in a variety of contexts:
- 4.1 Wear safe and appropriate clothing, including identification.
- 4.2 Observe the environment prior to commencing care.
- 4.3 Adjust the environment, as appropriate, to ensure safety and promote efficiency.
- 4.4 Organize time and equipment for safety and efficiency.
- 4.5 Adhere to the principles of body mechanics.
- 4.6 Adhere to the principles of medical asepsi