Care Practitioner

Care Begins Here: Transforming Passion into Compassion.

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About this Course

TYPE: Skills programme

MODE: Classroom based

VENUE: Durban North Campus
DURATION: 4 months

CREDITS: 64

What is a care practitioner?

Carers provide supervised and unsupervised care and support to patients and their immediate family’s/household members in the home and appropriate community-based settings in order to promote, restore and maintain a person’s maximum level of comfort, function and health including care towards a dignified death.

Establishments providing home-care and many individual households have a need for a home-care practitioner to provide a comprehensive service for the general and/or specific requirements of the setting in question.
There is a need for a broad-based qualification that incorporates a range of generic and specialist competencies in home-care services.

The home-care practitioner is required to provide more specialised services than a domestic or general cleaner, in addition to the typical functions of domestic and general cleaners.
In this regard, there is a need for home-carers to be aware of risk factors, hygiene and housekeeping needs and to operate ethically.

This qualification develops generic competencies required of all home carers and offers the specialist competencies required to operate in specialist areas of home-care such as care of toddlers, care of the aged, etc. and is ideal for:

1. a worker who provides a home-care service in an institution or in an individual household where specialist care services need to be provided,
2. persons who are already in a home-care environment and want to improve their home-care skills and/or who are new to the sector and wish to obtain a formal qualification to equip them for employment in the sector,
3. developing competencies required to provide a comprehensive home-care service in a manner that has regard for life and property,

A student who completes this part qualification will be able to perform home care activities in a chosen area of work, including :

1. Caring for the elderly, frail, the disabled and those with chronic illnesses.
2. Knowledge of working with dementia patients.
3. Palliative care principles
4. Implement health and wellness practices in home care.
5. Demonstrate life skills required for home care practice.
6. Perform home care activities in a chosen area of work.

Begin your journey now.

Course Description

Embark on a transformative journey with our Care Practitioner Program, designed for individuals passionate about making a difference in the lives of others.

This comprehensive course equips you with the essential skills and knowledge needed to provide compassionate care in various settings.

Throughout the program, you will explore critical topics such as ethical principles, healthy living factors, personal grooming, and specialized care for frail individuals and those with disabilities or chronic conditions.

You’ll also learn to administer medications safely in home environments and apply palliative care principles to support clients facing life-threatening illnesses.

Module 1 – Demonstrate knowledge of ethics and values.

1.1 – Reflect on own values and beliefs systems and how they influence own behaviour.

1.2 – Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of rules, regulations and code of conduct in the workplace.

1.3 – Demonstrate appreciation of and care for the employer’s property in place of work.

Module 2 – Demonstrate An Understanding Of Factors That Contribute Towards Healthy Living.

2.1 – Explain the basic principles of personal hygiene.

2.2 – Demonstrate an understanding of healthy and nutritious eating habits.

2.3 – Demonstrate an understanding of the consequences of abusing drugs and medicine.

2.4 – Demonstrate an understanding of sports and/or recreational activities for a healthy lifestyle.

Module 3 – Practice good health and grooming habits.

3.1 – Deal with common health conditions to help prevent the spread of illness.

3.2 – Practice good hygiene habits.

3.3 – Practice good grooming and dress habits.

Module 4 – Provide care to a frail person.

4.1 – Demonstrate a fundamental understanding of the normal function of the body systems.

4.2 – Identify the common degenerative, disease and trauma processes and their effect on the body systems of the frail person.

4.3 – Assess the condition and environment with reference to the specific needs of the frail person.

4.4 – Provide for the needs of the frail person.

4.5 – Demonstrate the use of a variety of basic frail care equipment.

4.6 – Demonstrate knowledge of the human rights of the frail person.

Module 5 – Administer medication in a home environment.

5.1 – Storing medicines.

5.2 – Explaining the administration of prescribed medicines.

5.3 – Giving medicine by mouth.

5.4 – Giving medicine by inhalation.

5.5 – Administering medicine by rectum.

5.6 – Instilling eye, ear and nose drops.

Module 6 – Promote activities of daily living for clients with a disability or a chronic condition.

6.1 – Explaining and describing the different components of activities of daily living (ADL).

6.2 – Evaluating the person’s ability to perform ADL.

6.3 – Implementing and integrating different strategies in ADL.

6.4 – Designing, developing, monitoring and evaluating an appropriate programme to assist the person in implementing ADL.

Module 7 – Apply palliative care principles when assisting and supporting the client and family to manage life-threatening disease.

7.1 – Demonstrate a basic knowledge of all aspects of the concept of palliative care.

7.2 – Demonstrate an understanding of all the possible role players involved in the provision of palliative care and their respective roles.

7.3 – Demonstrate the legal and ethical issues related to the provision of palliative care.

7.4 – Understand the needs of the dying patient and the family and explain what could be done to meet these needs.

7.5 – Assist in the management of pain and other symptoms at all levels under the direction of a qualified health worker.

7.6 – Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of grief and loss and the associated feelings.

Module 8 – Apply self-management practices.

8.1 – Maximise use of time.

8.2 – Manage anger to enhance personal effectiveness.

8.3 – Organize oneself for work.

8.4 – Apply stress management techniques.

Module 9 – Behave In A Professional Manner In A Business Environment.

9.1 – Knowing how to behave in a business environment.

9.2 – Interpreting body language in a business context.

9.3 – Interacting with people in a business setting.

9.4 – Assessing own professional behaviour in a business setting.

FREE Additional talks and training included:

The course will include additional training that focuses on:

1. Knowledge and practical application of hand-operated firefighting equipment, (US:13961)

2. Basic life support and first aid. (US:119567)

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

Grade 9 / Standard 7 in Communications and Numeracy skills.
Communication at NQF Level 4 (matric).
Mathematical Literacy at NQF Level 4

Access to this Qualification is open. However, it is recommended that learners are:

Not living with disabilities and are physically mobile to meet the requirements for this programme.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

This course does require:

1. Classroom based tuition at the Durban Campus
2. Formative and final examinations that need to be passed for the awarding of credits and certification.

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