Personal Support Worker Program Now At Everest College - Hamilton Mountain

WEBWIRE – Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Personal Support Workers Needed In Response To Increasing Health Care Demands

HAMILTON, Ontario (December 29, 2009) – As the population ages and the need for long-term care continues to grow, so does the need for personal care workers (PSWs). The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has made a $107 million commitment to add 873 PSW positions to the health care community*, and Everest College of Business, Technology and Healthcare - Hamilton Mountain responds with its newest Personal Support Worker diploma program.

During the six-month long Personal Support Worker program, students will gain the required personal and occupational skills needed to care for people affected by aging, disability or illness. Basic skills include responding to the emotional and physical needs of the patients, promoting physical and mental activation, observing and communicating with patients, handling specialized equipment, and providing personal and physical care. Additionally, students will learn a range of motion exercises, transferring and ambulating independent and dependent clients, assisting patients at mealtime, the nursing process, and such diseases as dementia and Alzheimer’s and much more. A mandatory clinical placement is included.

Personal Support Worker courses include:
• Individuality of the Person
• Role of the Worker
• Interpersonal Skills
• Safety
• Assisting a Person with Mobility
• Abuse
• Household Management and Meal Preparation
• Providing Optimal Support/Care Planning
• Assisting a Person with Personal Hygiene
• Assisting the Family
• Cognitive Impairment and Mental Health Issues
• Assisting a Person to Manage Ongoing Conditions
• Assisting a Person with Medications
• Assisting a Person Who is Dying
• Student Success Strategies
• Professional Skills
• Career and Employment Strategies

“As the need for long-term care continues to increase in our community, it’s important that we be ready with health care training that produces quality candidates to meet that need,” said Connie Greubel, president of the Everest College - Hamilton Mountain campus. “Personal support workers are the backbone of the health care industry an we are pleased to begin enrolling for the PSW course.”

About Everest

Everest College - Hamilton Mountain, located at 1039 Upper James Street, Hamilton, ON L9C 3A7, provides career-oriented diploma programs in business and accounting, health care, social work, technology, fitness and beauty, administration, legal and law enforcement. Everest College of Business, Technology and Healthcare is owned by Corinthian Colleges, Inc., one of the largest post-secondary education companies in North America, and has more than 100 schools in the U.S. and Canada. The Hamilton Mountain and Hamilton City Centre campuses serve the Niagara, and St. Catharines communities. For more information, visit http://www.Everest.ca.

* 2009-2010 annual report for the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
(http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/public/pub/ministry_annual/annual_rep09_10/annual_rep09_10.pdf)