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A growing and aging population
requires more health services. Thus, governments are increasing funding
for health care. Demand has also increased because of the growing
number of nursing homes/long-term care facilities for people with
chronic illnesses and disabling conditions. Personal Support Workers
are growing in demand.
PSW is often used together with HCA or interchangeably. HCA is an
acronym for Health Care Aide. Some additional titles for similar
positions are:
- hospital attendant
- long term care aide
- nurse aide
- nursing attendant
- personal aide
- orderly
- personal care attendant
- patient care aide
- visiting homemaker
- home support worker
Essentials America's personal support
workers work in hospitals, nursing homes
or long-term care facilities, retirement or senior homes, community
care centres, health care services providers, social and family
services, and Alzheimer's programs
The Job:
- Caregiver who assists people with
daily personal care needs as they deal with the effects of aging,
injury or illness. A PSW works under the direction of a Registered
Nurse (RN) or Registered Practical Nurse (RPN)
- Positions in home care such as
health care aides, home support workers, personal care workers and
attendants (see "Similar titles") are mostly unregulated
- Assists with all activities of
daily living including bathing, toileting, dressing, mobility and
feeding sorts and bags all soiled linen, makes and changes beds, cleans
and tidies resident room
- Supports client's independence
regarding medications
- Recognizes and reports changes in a
client's behaviour/condition
provides informal counselling, as needed
- Duties and skills to support
clients at their homes or residences may include assistance with
shopping, light cleaning, meal preparation and laundry
Education:
A PSW certificate is required.
Useful Experience and Skills:
- Ability to communicate clearly and
effectively
- Empathy
- Flexibility
- Assertiveness
- Respect for confidentiality
- Sense of humour
- Dedicated
- Caring/compassionate
- Patient
- Role model
- Respectful
- Positive/optimistic
- Confident/self-accepting
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