Lesson 1: The Caregiver

Learning Objectives

After this lesson, the Home Care Aide will be able to:

1. Recall the basic job duties and requirements of a Home Care Aide;
2. Use a service plan to provide appropriate, individualized care that promotes a client’s rights, dignity, and privacy;
3. Support a client’s choices;
4. Use appropriate strategies to encourage and support maximum independence when providing care;
5. Identify changes from baseline in a client’s physical, mental, and emotional state through observation;
6. Provide reports of changes from baseline and concerns to the appropriate care team members; and
7. Use strategies to maintain professional boundaries.

Key Terms

Activities of daily living (ADLs): everyday personal care activities including bathing, bed mobility, eating, personal hygiene, medication assistance, walking/locomotion, transfers, and toileting.
Advocating: to speak up or take action for someone else.
Common care practices: general practices that caregivers use during personal care to promote a
client’s rights, dignity, comfort, and safety.
Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs): routine tasks at home or in the community such as cooking, shopping, cleaning, and paying bills.

Monitor: to carefully observe or supervise a person or situation.
Nurse delegation (WAC 388-112A-0550): when a licensed registered nurse transfers (teaches) a specific task for an individual client to a qualified long-term care worker. Nurse delegation is only allowed in some care settings.
Observation: to watch, listen, or otherwise notice significant details about a client’s physical, mental, and emotional state.
Personal care services: tasks done to help a client with activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living.
Professional boundaries: appropriate limits in a job relationship.
Prosthesis: an artificial body part such as a leg, arm, breast, or eye.