HCA 107 Healing 3: Personal Care and Assistance

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

1. perform personal care skills in an organized manner ensuring the comfort and appropriate independence of the client: • Organize and implement care according to client needs. • Encourage independence of the client as much as possible. • Encourage client communication and engagement during personal care. • Maintain client privacy and dignity. • Assist the client with personal hygiene and grooming. • Assist the client with movement and ambulation. • Use aides to promote comfort, relaxation and sleep. • Take and record vital signs accurately (temperature, pulse respirations). • Assist the client to meet nutritional needs. • Assist the client with medication. • Provide specialized, sensitive care for the dying client in line with palliative care principles.
2. apply an informed problem-solving process to the provision of care and assistance: • Assess the client and situation. • Observe changes in the client's health status. • Set priorities or make adjustments to the care process based on client requirements. • Identify priorities for care within the care plan. • Utilize appropriate health team members as recourses to augment one's own problem-solving and decision-making. • Follow the care plan for each client. • Conduct care-giving or assisting activities. • Reflect on and evaluate effectiveness of care or assistance. • Carry out recoding requirements. • Utilize creativity when required to adapt care and assistance to a variety of contexts.
3. provide personal care and assistance within the parameters of the HCA: • Comply with legal/employer parameters of practice for HCA roles. • Collaborate with other members of the health team. • Use appropriate lines of communication. • Demonstrate dependability, reliability, honesty, and integrity. • Adhere to the client's care plan.
4. provide care and assistance in ways that maintain safety for self and others in a variety of contexts: • Wear safe and appropriate clothing, including identification. • Assess the environment prior to commencing care. • Adjust the environment, as appropriate, to ensure safety and to promote efficiency. • Organize time and equipment for safety and efficiency. • Base choices and actions on a sound knowledge of asepsis and body mechanics. • Adhere to infection control practices. • Recognize and make wise choices in situations of potential risk to self or others. • Exhibit flexible and adaptable behavior in a variety of contexts. • Recognize and respond appropriately to emergencies.