Helping Canadians get back to work.
Personal Support Worker
The Personal Support Worker program prepares graduates to provide supportive care to individuals across their lifespan. Students will learn to assist individuals with their activities of daily living, including those with cognitive impairment, physical disability, and mental health challenges.
Career Responsibilities
The program includes clinical placements that will allow students to participate in supervised practices in both community settings and nursing homes. Clinical placements provide students with an opportunity to practice their new skills in a real-life work setting. While on placement, students gain experience in a wider range of support worker skills. The Personal Support Worker program will equip the student with the following knowledge, skills and responsibilities:
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Provide personal care and companionship.
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Assist with all activities of daily living including bathing, toileting, dressing, mobility and feeding.
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Assist client to walk, support at bedside, support client’s independence regarding medications.
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Perform light housekeeping and cleaning.
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Recognize and report changes in a client’s behavior/condition.
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Provides informal counseling, as needed.
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Work within the role in a variety of settings in accordance with all applicable legislation and employer policies and procedures.
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Act responsibly, be accountable and understand the skills and knowledge boundaries of the role.
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Participate as a member of the care team and maintain collaborative working relationships when providing care in work settings.
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Provide ethical and sensitive client-centered and client-directed care following the care/service plan.
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Establish and maintain helping relationships that reflect open communication and professionalism while respecting privacy and confidentiality legislation.
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Identify, report, and document relevant client information using assessment and communication in accordance with legislation and employer policies.
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Promote and maintain a safe and comfortable environment to clients and their families in accordance with legislation, policies, and procedures.
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Assist clients across the lifespan with routine activities of daily living.
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Assist clients with medication in keeping with the care/service plan, the support worker role, applicable legislation, and employer policies.
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Assist with household management tasks and instrumental activities of daily living in keeping with the care/service plan.
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Assist clients who are caring for dependent individuals in keeping with the care/service plan and the needs of the clients and their families.
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Identify and report situations of potential, alleged, or witnessed neglect and abuse in accordance with legislation and employer policies and procedures.
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Assist in providing palliative and end of life care to clients and their families in accordance with client autonomy and the care/service plan.
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Support clients experiencing cognitive impairment or mental health challenges.
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Apply knowledge of the structure and function of all human body systems.
Career Opportunities
Rewarding career opportunities can be found in a variety of care settings including:
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Community homes
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Retirement homes
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Long-term care homes
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Hospitals
Get Notified
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Provincial Funding
Looking for student aid options offered by your local province? Choose your province of residence below to check out provincial funding options such as grants, loans, scholarships, and bursaries.
*All student funding, whether made available privately or through various government branches, is only approved to those who qualify, by the original source of funding. There are many criteria that each candidate must meet to be approved. Schools can only inform you of what may be available.