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Personal Care Assistant Certificate Program with Clinical Externship


Program includes National Certification & a Clinical Externship Opportunity


The Personal Care Assistant Profession

Personal Care Assistants provide assistance to elderly, disabled, ill, and mentally disabled persons who live in their own homes or in a residential care facility. Some Personal Care Assistants work with families in which a parent is incapacitated and small children need care. Others help discharged hospital patients who have relatively short-term needs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the Personal Care Assistant is projected to be the fastest growing occupation through 2022. Numerous job openings with excellent opportunities are expected. Job opportunities will be prevalent in hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, home care, long-term care facilities, hospice and assisted living facilities.Personal Care Assistants can be in the form of paid employees who come into the home for a few hours a day or who live in the home full time or can be family members or friends of the resident.


The Personal Care Assistant Program

This comprehensive program prepares students for a position as a Personal Care Assistant. Emphasis is on giving personal care in a client's home, communications, working with ill persons, basic human needs, eldercare, nutrition, special diets, and home management. Many different types of individuals who live at home or in a home-like residential facility require assistance with minor medical and daily tasks.Personal Care Assistants provide this assistance or provide some of the care to allow family caregivers a respite.This program will ensure students are prepared to provide a variety of essential services for their clients including health care management and monitoring, assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs)ranging from bathing, dressing, eating, using the bathroom, housekeeping and laundry to medication reminders and/or management, recreational activities and companionship, security and transportation.


Program Objectives

At the conclusion of this program, students will be able to:

  • Describe long-term care in terms of the target populations, environment, care options
  • Describe the physiological, psychological, and sociological changes related to aging
  • Describe physical, cognitive, and social growth and development characteristics
  • Describe memory care needs and options
  • Explain proper procedures for infection control in a home or residential environment
  • Perform basic housekeeping procedures and safety for residents, staff, and visitors
  • Explain procedures and strategies for planning, purchasing, and serving food
  • Explain the proper procedures for safely assisting an individual in activities of daily living
  • Explain procedures for preventing fluid overload and dehydration
  • Explain proper procedures for applying a variety of warm and cold applications
  • Explain procedures involved in caring for individuals with special needs
  • Describe effective and appropriate care of an individual who is dying
  • Explain proper care for infants and children in the home or residential setting
  • Explain how to assist individuals in a home or residential environment
  • Explain common preoperative and postoperative care procedures
  • Use Microsoft Office

MODULE 1 - THE RESIDENTIAL CARE ENVIRONMENT

LESSON 1 – THE LONG TERM CARE ENVIRONMENT

  • Define long-term care
  • Describe the type of individual who might require long-term care solutions
  • Distinguish between the various types of long-term care options and environments
  • Identify the common tasks performed and responsibilities by the caregivers in long-term care environments
  • Describe typical costs and payment solutions for long-term care
  • List individual rights and expectations of those for whom care is given
  • Identify the roles and responsibilities of various healthcare professionals
  • Describe current role of ethics in medicine
  • Examine ethical issues including privacy and confidentiality
  • Describe characteristics of professional behavior in the long-term care environment

LESSON 2 – PHYSIOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY, AND SOCIOLOGY OF AGING

  • Describe aging and characteristics of the aging population
  • Describe the physical changes of the older adult
  • Identify common disease conditions of older adults
  • Describe the social and psychological concerns related to aging
  • Identify common behavioral health disorders of older adults
  • Discuss the safety issues and guidelines for the older adult resident
  • Explain how to meet the older adult’s social and psychological needs

LESSON 3 – GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT

  • Distinguish between growth and development
  • Discuss the growth characteristics of distinct age groups
  • Recognize key developmental milestones
  • Explain the impact that illness and injury have growth and development
  • Identify the developmental tasks at various chronological ages
  • Identify appropriate care behaviors for various age groups

LESSON 4 – MEMORY CARE

  • Explain the different types of dementia including risk factors, signs and symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment
  • Compare dementia with the normal age-related memory changes
  • Describe the type of options available for memory care
  • Discuss best practices in memory-care facilities
  • Explain effective strategies for caring for patients with dementia and their families

MODULE 2 – HOMEMAKING AND SAFETY SKILLS

LESSON 5 – INFECTION CONTROL IN A RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENT

  • Explain the importance of and procedure for proper hand washing
  • Describe the procedures for ensuring infection control in the home health or residential environment
  • Explain the proper care for individuals with transmittable diseases
  • Identify Standard Precautions of the CDC
  • Describe how to put on and remove nonsterile gloves
  • Describe the basic isolation techniques that can be used in a residential environment
  • Discuss how to manage medical waste
  • Discuss how and when to use a mask and gown

LESSON 6 – HOMEMAKING AND SAFETY IN THE RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENT

  • Identify the homemaking tasks of the caregiver in a residential environment
  • Explain basic procedures involved in housekeeping
  • Explain how to make a bed that is occupied and not occupied
  • Describe safety rules that should be applied to the home
  • Discuss fire-prevention strategies and steps for putting out a fire after it starts
  • Discuss specific guidelines related to poisons
  • Discuss specific guidelines related to oxygen safety
  • Explain restraints and positioning devices
  • Explain body mechanics and how these concepts are applied

LESSON 7 – PLANNING, PURCHASING AND SERVING FOOD TO PATIENTS

  • Identify the basic anatomy and functions of the digestive system
  • Explain the standards for a healthy diet
  • Describe important considerations associated with planning and shopping for meals
  • Describe important considerations associated with storing food
  • Describe important considerations and guidelines associated with preparing a meal
  • Discuss the steps to serving a meal to an individual
  • Identify the purpose of common therapeutic diets
  • Explain the effects of chemotherapy and radiation on an individual's diet

MODULE 3 – BASIC CARE SKILLS

LESSON 8 – BASIC PERSONAL CARE

  • Identify areas in which patients or residents may need assistance in personal care
  • Describe procedures for ensuring oral hygiene
  • Describe procedures for dressing and undressing
  • Describe procedures for assisting with bathing
  • Describe procedures for giving a backrub
  • Describe procedures for hair care
  • Describe procedures for shaving a beard
  • Describe procedures for assisting with toileting
  • Describe procedures for performing nail and foot care
  • Describe procedures for performing skin care
  • Describe procedures for taking vital signs

LESSON 9 – PREVENTING FLUID OVERLOAD AND DEHYDRATION

  • Explain the concept of fluid balance in the body
  • Describe how to properly record fluid intake and output
  • Explain how to care for individuals who require fluid monitoring
  • Explain the procedure for straining urine

LESSON 10 – WARM & COLD APPLICATIONS

  • Differentiate the purpose of warm and cold applications
  • Describe different methods of warm and cold applications using moist and dry techniques
  • Describe how to keep the individuals comfortable and safe during warm and cold applications

MODULE 4 – SKILLS FOR SPECIAL POPULATIONS

LESSON 11 – CARE OF INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

  • Explain common care of patients with cancer
  • Explain common care of individuals with immunosuppression disorders
  • Explain common care of residents with mental health issues
  • Explain common care of those with substance abuse disorders
  • Explain how to how to care for those with other common diseases

LESSON 12 – CARE OF THE DYING

  • Explain the grieving process, including the stages of grieving
  • Identify possible emotional needs of the dying person
  • Explain the role of the caregiver with a dying individual
  • Explain advance directives for healthcare
  • Identify potential tasks involved in the physical care of the dying
  • Explain the role of the caregiver during the moment of death
  • Discuss various options for postmortem care in the home

LESSON 13 – NEONATAL AND PEDIATRIC CARE

  • Define the developmental age groupings most commonly used for neonatal and pediatric patients
  • Explain the procedures involved in neonatal care, including feeding, diapering, and bathing
  • Discuss the considerations for a circumcised infant
  • Discuss the considerations related to the umbilical cord
  • Discuss infant and pediatric safety
  • Discuss the nursing care of pediatric patients
  • Explain strategies for communicating with pediatric patients

MODULE 5 – ADVANCED CARE SKILLS

LESSON 14 – REHABILITIATION AND RETURN TO SELF-CARFE

  • Distinguish between rehabilitation and restorative care
  • Explain the holistic approach to patient care
  • Identify examples of a rehabilitation program
  • Discuss OBRA requirements for nursing facilities
  • Identify roles and responsibilities of the professional rehabilitation team
  • Discuss the psychological and psychosocial aspects of rehabilitative care
  • Explain procedures involved in the personal care of the rehabilitative patient
  • Define subacute care
  • Explain ventilator care

LESSON 15 – SPECIAL PROCEDURES FOR RESIDENTIAL CARE

  • Describe how to how to assist a person in taking his or her medication
  • Explain safety precautions related to oxygen therapy
  • Describe the procedure for changing a nonsterile dressing
  • Explain procedures related to catheter care
  • Describe how to assist a person who is on intravenous therapy
  • Describe procedures appropriate to cast care
  • Explain procedures related to ostomy care
  • Describe how to create a seizure-safe environment
  • Describe blood and urine testing procedures for diabetic individuals
  • Explain how to assist individuals in performing deep-breathing exercises
  • Explain the uses of saline solution
  • Describe how to assist with total parenteral nutrition
  • Describe how to take a urine sample

LESSON 16 – CARE OF THE SURGICAL PATIENT

  • Describe the different types of surgery
  • Describe the procedures for preoperative care
  • Describe the procedures for postoperative care
  • Discuss anesthesia and postoperative complications

Note: This program can be completed in 6 months. However, students will have online access to this program for a 24-month period.

Education and National Certifications

  • Students should have or be pursuing a high school diploma or GED.
  • There are several National Certification exams that are available to students who successfully complete this program:
    • National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) Exam

National Certification

Upon successful completion of this Auburn University program, students would be eligible to sit for the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam. Students who complete this program are encouraged to complete the externship option with their program. Students who complete this program can and do sit for the national certification exam and are qualified, eligible and prepared to do so. Auburn University works with each student to complete the exam application and register the student to take their national certification exam

Externship / Hands on Training / Practicum

Although not a requirement, once students complete the program, they have the ability to participate in a clinical externship and/or hands on practicum so as to practice the skills necessary to perform the job requirements of a professional in this field. Students will be assisted with completing a resume and/or other requirements necessary to work in this field. All students who complete this program are eligible to participate in an externship and placed with a participating organization near their location. Auburn University works with national organizations and has the ability to place students in externship opportunities nationwide.

Note: No refunds can be issued after the start date published in your Financial Award document.