Lifestyle and Introduction to Practice

Understanding Health

Health as process i.e. a journey not a destination.

• Physical, psychological/emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual dimensions of health.
• Interrelatedness of all aspects of health.
• Health as it relates to lifestyle and choices.

Components of Health

• Physical components of health:
  • Physical activity and physical self-care.
  • Sleep and rest.
  • Nutrition throughout the life cycle; factors that affect eating and nutrition; Canada’s Food Guide; weight management.
  • Avoiding or limiting harmful substances – licit and illicit drugs, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine.
• Psychological/emotional (feeling) components of health:
• Interaction between emotions/perceptions and health.
• Psychologically safe environments.
• Stress and stress management.
  • Common responses and effects of stress.
  • Common stressors related to work of the HCA.
  • Burnout and compassion fatigue.
  • Strategies for self-assessment and wellness intervention.
• Cognitive (thinking) components of health:
  • Rational thinking and perceiving.
  • Ability to reason, interpret and remember.
  • Ability to sense, perceive, assess and evaluate.
  • Problem-solving ability.
  • Creativity.
• Social (interactive) components of health:
  • Social bonds and social supports in relation to health.
  • Cultural and societal influences on lifestyle and choices.
• Spiritual components of health:
  • Personal values and beliefs.
  • Clarification of values and beliefs that are personally significant.
  • Meaning-making.
  • Activities that enrich and refresh.

Lifestyle Change

• Complexity of the lifestyle change process.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving as it relates to lifestyle and choices.
• Self-reflection and self-evaluation in relation to challenges and resources.
• Setting achievable goals, using motivators, setting a realistic change agenda.
• Recognizing difficulties inherent in personal change.

Workplace Settings and Contexts

• Introduction to the Health Care System in British Columbia and Canada
• Long Term Care Assessment (how it is done and outcomes).
• Models of care – creating community, actualizing person-centred care.
• Assisted Living – goals, philosophy, approaches – how these might also be applied in other contexts.
•  Working in facilities – challenges and opportunities.
• Working in Community-based settings – challenges and opportunities.
• Agency/ facility/ employer standards; policies and procedures – purpose and function.
• Standards of care.
• Importance of maintaining client/resident/family confidentiality.
• Reporting and recording – when, what, how.
• Legal implications of the written word.
• Organizing within the work environment: managing time effectively.
• Use of workplace technology (computers).

Team work in Healthcare Settings

• The healthcare team in facilities and in the community; roles and responsibilities
• Legal limitations and obligations of HCAs.
• What to do when a situation exceeds legal parameters of one’s role
• Supervision and delegation of tasks.
• Lines of communication.
• Basic concepts of team development and group processes.
• Benefits & challenges of working in a team.
• Facilitating effective team functioning – principles of collaboration.

Legal and Ethical Issues

• Human rights: World Health Organization; basic human rights in Canada
• Rights of people receiving healthcare services.
• Rights of care-givers; employment standards.
• Relevant contractual obligations that guide HCA practice.
• Ethical and legal parameters of HCA (HCSW, CHW/Home Support Worker and RCA) roles.
• Ethical standards and decision-making within one’s practice.
• Abuse – recognizing and reporting.
• Occupational health and safety.

Professional Approaches to Practice

• Responsible and Accountable behaviour.
• Unions – membership, rights, and responsibilities.
• Professional relationships with clients/ residents, families and other members of the health team:
  • roles and professional boundaries
  • principles of professional self-disclosure
• Accountability and ethical behaviour in working relationships.
• Aspects of confidentiality in shared information.

Self-reflective Practice

• Reflective practice – what it is, why it is important, how to become a reflective care provider.
• Personal competence as a component of caring.
• Impact of personal values, beliefs and principles on practice.
• Self-assessment and self-development.
• Challenges and rewards of specific work environments.
• Selecting a work environment that fits own strengths, values, preferences and lifestyle.
• The importance of lifelong learning.
• The function of motivation and commitment in on-going learning and personal development.

Employability Skills

• Preparing a resume and letter of application.
• Completing a job application form.
• Effectively handling the job interview.
• Employer expectations.