Are you a compassionate, helpful person with a penchant for caregiving? If so, you may enjoy a career that allows you to help others each day. As a personal support worker (PSW) in Canada, you will provide vital support to those who need assistance performing daily living activities.

PSWs often work with those living with disabilities and the elderly to improve their quality of life and allow them to keep their dignity intact. Keep reading to learn about a PSW's duties, skills, and career paths in Canada. This may be the perfect opportunity for you. If so, we provide the training and career support you’ll need to be a competitive candidate.

What Do PSWs Do?

As is the case with many caregiver roles, the duties of a PSW are multifaceted and require a high degree of adaptability, depending on the needs of each client. After personal support worker training, each day could look very different - ideal for anyone who enjoys variety in their job. Your responsibilities could include the following:

• Assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs): Helping clients with personal hygiene tasks, such as bathing, grooming, and dressing, and assisting with mobility, transfers, and positioning.
• Meal Preparation and Nutrition: Planning and preparing nutritious meals based on the client's dietary needs and restrictions, assisting with feeding when necessary.
• Medication Support: Helping clients follow doctors' orders.  Monitoring and recording clients' responses to medications.
• Emotional and Social Support: Providing companionship and emotional support and engaging in social activities and conversations to promote mental well-being.
• Household Management: Performing light housekeeping tasks, including cleaning and organizing living spaces, assisting with laundry, and maintaining a safe environment.
• Client Education: Educating clients and their families on proper self-care techniques and providing information on health conditions and available resources.
• Collaboration with Healthcare Professionals: Working closely with other healthcare professionals, like nurses and social workers, to provide comprehensive care and report observations and concerns to the appropriate medical personnel.

Now that we’ve covered the answer to the initial question: what do PSWs do? Let's explore the skills you’ll need to complete job functions effectively.

PSW jobs involve a wide range of duties

What Skills Must a PSW Possess?

In addition to personal attributes such as empathy, patience, and physical stamina, PSWs need several specialized skills to succeed. On a practical level, PSWs must know how to provide care to clients based on their individual needs. They need to understand various conditions to determine their clients' limitations, what they can do independently, and what they’ll need assistance with.

PSWs must also maintain a firm grasp of health and nutrition principles to prepare and serve meals that cater to each client's dietary needs. Other skills you’ll need to perform well in PSW jobs include housekeeping skills, collaborative skills, and providing emotional support.

 

Get the theoretical knowledge and practical skills you’ll need to land PSW jobs

How to Start Your PSW Journey

The 30-week personal support worker diploma program prepares students to land the career of their dreams. Our graduates can go on to pursue work as:

• Personal support workers
• Patient services associates
• Continuing care assistants
• Caregivers
• Health care aides
• Long-term care aides
• Nurse aides
• Nursing attendants
• Patient care aides
• Psychiatric aides

You will receive a solid theoretical knowledge base and the opportunity to put your knowledge into practice during our 8-week placement.

Are you ready to start our PSW course?

Contact Algonquin Careers College to learn more!