Care of the Older Person FETAC Level 5
Who should participate in this course?
This programme has been designed specifically for Family Carers, Home Helps, Respite Workers, Care Assistants and Attendants, and any individual wishing to pursue a career in the Care Sector.
Duration: 4 Days
No. Of Participants: 10 Participants per Programme.
Certification: A FETAC Level 5 Certificate will be awarded to each successful participant on this course.
Course Objective:
This course is designed to equip learners with the knowledge and skills to provide care for older people in a variety of settings. Learners who successfully complete this course will be able to demonstrate good work practices while providing individualised holistic care for older people and understand fully the concept of the ageing process. The successful participant will also be able to meet the needs of older people in a variety of care settings and enhance the quality of life of the older person, and themselves as carers.
Candidate Requirement:
Leaving Certificate or equivalent, or relevant life and work experience. Learners must also be capable of undertaking assessment work to Ordinary Level Leaving Certificate standard. International learners undertaking this course should have confidence in their English language, reading, writing and comprehension skills.
Course Content:
Unit 1: The ageing process
- Healthy ageing
- Awareness of national and global demographic trends
- The normal physiological process of ageing
- The social impact of ageing on older people
- Differing attitudes to ageing and older people
- Promoting positive attitudes to ageing
- Role of statutory and voluntary agencies in promoting the well-being of older people
- Preparation for retirement
- Appreciation of the ethnic and cultural influences on the older person
Unit 2: Care settings
- Identify the care settings for older people
- Identify members of the health care team available in each care setting
- Identify a range of specific services that are available for older people in the areas of education, life long learning, the workplace, leisure and retirement
- Current approaches towards developing quality in the provision of services for older people and their families to include standards and quality assurance
Unit 3: Working with the older person
- Range of needs of older people: emotional, psychological, recreational, financial, environmental and spiritual
- The role of the health care assistant in providing care for older people
- Communicate effectively with the older person, his/her family and the multidisciplinary team
- Promote the following in caring for the older person: advocacy; empowerment; independence; individualised care; dignity; respect; choice; self-esteem
- Understand the importance of family/carers as partners
- Strategies to improve personal effectiveness in the workplace
- How health promotion issues can be introduced in care settings for older people
- Provision of therapeutic interventions that will enhance social interactions and quality of life of the older person
Unit 4: Caring for older people with specific needs
- Identify and adapt care and practices to meet the needs of older people with cognitive and sensory impairment and/or physical disabilities
- Issues related to an older person with mental illness
- Issues related to an older person with dementia
- The impact of living with chronic illness
- Individual needs of the dying person and their families
- Performance of duties in a way that is respectful to the person’s body after death
Assessment Method
Skills Demonstration 60% & Project 40%
Where a learner is caring for a family member, skills will be assessed in a classroom based role play situation.
