Online, self-learning palliative care course for personal support workers, care aides, and health care assistants.
LEAP™ Personal Support Worker is an online, self-learning course that provides personal support workers and care aides with the essential competencies to provide a palliative care approach.
Pallium would like to thank the Li Ka Shing (Canada) Foundation for their generosity and support in launching LEAP™ Personal Support Worker.
“I will always think now of whether a person with a life-limiting illness might benefit from a palliative approach to care. I will be a better advocate for them.”
LEAP™ Personal Support Worker learner
Who is it for?
LEAP™ Personal Support Worker is for personal support workers, care aides, and health care assistants working in long-term care, home care, nursing homes, and acute care.
Course features
- Interactive, self-learning online modules completed at your own pace (approximately 8 to 10 hours of work).
- Short quizzes at the end of each module to assess knowledge.
- Built by Canadian palliative care experts.
- Participants will receive a LEAP™ certificate of completion.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of LEAP™ Personal Support Worker, learners should be able to:
- Identify individuals who could benefit from a palliative care approach.
- Recognize the meaning of key terms related to Advance Care Planning.
- Identify pain types and causes of pain.
- Recognize the role that personal support workers/care aides/health care assistants play in helping the care team select medication.
- Recognize the impact that delirium has on patients and families.
- Recognize the difference between individuals experiencing normal grief, and those at risk of more complicated grief.
- Recall how to observe for, and report when an individual is affected by dyspnea.
- Identify the ‘Dignity Conserving Care’ approach to support individuals and maintain hopefulness.
- Identify advocacy communication skills that can be used to advocate for the individual you care for to other members of the health care team.
- Recall how to prepare individuals and families for the last days and hours.
“I commit to being the ears and eyes of the health care team and watch more attentively now for signs that need to be reported.”
LEAP™ Personal Support Worker learner
Topics covered include
- Taking ownership
- Advance Care Planning
- Goals of care and decision-making
- Pain – introduction to pain
- Pain – observation and screening
- Pain – understanding pain medication
- Pain – understanding pain management
- Delirium screening and management
- Depression, anxiety, and grief
- Dyspnea
- Hydration and nutrition
- Gastrointestinal symptoms
- Suffering, spiritual care, and maintaining hope
- Last days and hours
- Communication