QC
October 21, 2013 | Quebec
Daily Support at the Heart of Residential Care
Residential care includes various settings where people live and receive daily assistance due to a loss of independence or a health condition. In Quebec, these can include residential and long-term care centres, seniors' residences, and other residential settings that provide assistance services.
Patient Service Associates or Orderlies play an essential role in these environments. Through their daily presence, they support people's comfort, safety, independence, and quality of life.
Residential care is one of the settings addressed in CDI College's Support for Assistive Services in Health and Social Services Institutions – 5905 DVS program, in which students develop the skills needed to support diverse populations across the health and social services network.
Supporting People Over Time
Unlike a hospital stay, which is often short-term, residential care generally allows Patient Service Associates to support the same people over a longer period.
As a result, they become familiar with each person's routines, preferences, abilities, and needs. This understanding can help them provide more personalized assistance and build trusting relationships with the people they support.
👉 Learn more: Acute Care or Long-Term Care: What's the Difference?
Respecting Daily Routines and Supporting Independence
Living in residential care does not mean giving up personal routines or preferences.
People may want to get up at a certain time, choose their own clothes, participate in particular activities, or maintain routines that are important to them.
Patient Service Associates adapt their approach to encourage people to participate in activities they can still perform and to respect their way of life whenever possible.
This approach helps support independence, dignity, and quality of life.
👉 Learn more: Why Do Patient Service Associates Need to Build Trust With the People They Support?
A Daily Presence That Helps Build Trust
Patient Service Associates are often among the professionals who spend the most time with the people they support.
Their daily presence can help build trust, facilitate communication, and make it easier to recognize changes in a person's condition or needs.
They can then communicate their observations to other members of the care team, helping support continuity of services.
👉 Learn more: Why Are Patient Service Associates' Observations So Important?
Skills Developed During Training
CDI College's Support for Assistive Services in Health and Social Services Institutions – 5905 DVS program prepares students to assist in a variety of residential care settings.
Through courses, hands-on labs, and practicums, students develop the skills needed to adapt their approach, collaborate with care teams, and support people while respecting their needs, independence, and dignity.
This preparation helps students develop the confidence and professionalism needed to work in different care settings.
A Profession at the Heart of Everyday Life
Whether in a residential and long-term care centre, a seniors' residence, or another residential setting, Patient Service Associates play an essential role in the everyday lives of the people they support.
Through their presence, attentive approach, and daily assistance, they help create an environment where people can live with respect, safety, and dignity while receiving the support they need.
Explore Further
👉 Why Do Patient Service Associates Play Such an Important Role in Hospital Care?
👉 Why Do Patient Service Associates Play an Important Role in Home Care?
👉 How Do Patient Service Associates Contribute to People's Comfort?
