Personal Support Workers in Long Term Care Facilities

By Cynthia Herron

Information for Families

Choosing to live in, or have a loved one live in a Long Term Care Facility (LTC), also known as a Nursing home, can be a very difficult decision. If you are a caregiver, already taking care of a loved one full time, realizing that you are now unable to care for them can be a depressing and stressful time. Many seniors find just the thought of a nursing home very frightening. Caregivers and seniors need support and council when making these types of decisions.

In a LTC facility, there are a variety of professions employed.

Examples are:

·      Personal Support Workers (PSW) 

·      Nurses 

·      Directors of Care 

·      Administration 

·      Food service staff

·      Laundry service staff 

·      Cleaning staff 

·      Activity directors

·      Visiting Doctors

Some LTC facilities may have many other professions employed as well. Personal Support Workers (PSW), play a very large role in the care of your loved one and all people living in the LTC facility. The role caregivers take on when caring for their loved one, is similar to the role of a Personal Support Worker in LTC. Personal Support Workers are the EYES of LTC. Paying attention to the needs, wants, concerns and well being of all residents. The Personal Support Worker job description for each LTC facility varies but most factors are very similar.


Most importantly, Personal Support Workers assist the residents with their Activities of Daily Living (ADL).


Showers, tub baths and sponge baths.
Many LTC facilities have specific tub bath days for every resident. Usually, a specific Personal Support Worker for that shift performs the tub baths. Residents capable of bathing themselves, and resident’s bed ridden, have sponge baths most days. (morning and bedtime) However, each facility may have different policies, schedules and bathing equipment.

Mouth care is preformed by Personal Support Worker if resident is unable to do.
Cleaning of dentures, partial dentures, and over all mouth care. Checking inside of the mouth with the removal and application of dentures. This is to ensure there are no surface wounds of gums, tongue or any issues with any remaining teeth.

Assistance or performing any incontinent care.
Peri care is performed during every incontinent product change. Appropriate creams or specific cleaning products are used if necessary.

Assistance of dressing and undressing.
Residents who are bed ridden or have partial to no mobility, Personal Support Worker’s perform a complete dress/undress.

Applying medicated (if needed and approved) and non-medicated creams, lotions and powders.
Paying close attention to skin appearance. Checking for any surface wounds, unusual bruises, scratches, redness or swelling and signs of any potential pressure sores

Assistance with positioning in bed. Residents who are in bed for long periods of time, are repositioned and moved every two hours to prevent pressure sores from forming.

Assisting female residents with makeup application and male residents with shaving (electric usually).

Personal Support Workers ensure hearing aids are being used and working. Or other personal aids.

Personal Support Workers perform simple catheter care if needed. Cleaning around catheter site, watching for infection or any unusual concerns and the emptying and changing of catheter bags. Documenting the amount of output. Many residents with catheters have different bags for day and night. Personal Support Workers change the bag to the residents needs. Personal Support Workers work with condom, In-Out and indwelling catheters.

Assisting in transfers. LTC facilities use equipment to aid in transfers if the resident is unable to bear some or all of his/her weight during a transfer. Ceiling lifts, and mechanical lifts are used in these cases. For residents who partial weight bear, Personal Support Worker’s assist them with transfers from their bed, chairs, wheel chairs, bathrooms etc. In some cases, depending on facility policies, hip belts, floor disks, transfer boards or other transfer aids may be used.

LTC facilities have specific breakfast, lunch and dinner times. Personal Support Workers assist residents down to the dining room and back again. In some cases, residents are unable to leave their rooms and a tray of food is brought to them. Personal Support Workers will also assist residents to activities, being held in the activity room of the facility.

All facilities have a “call bell” system. When a resident needs something or needs help, there is a button or pull string in their rooms and bathrooms. When the system is used, an alarm can be heard and a Personal Support Worker comes and aids the resident.

Personal Support Workers, usually work within three shifts a day. Morning, evening and midnight shifts. Positions may be full time, part time or casual. Most shifts usually consist of the same group of Personal Support Workers.

Personal Support Workers ensure privacy of all residents during procedures or personal care routines.

Personal Support Workers document daily, and record any concerns they may have. They record intake of food and fluid, output if needed, personal care routines completed, skin condition, emotional state, update on any ongoing or recent concerns and more. Each facility has a different form of documentation (I.E. flow sheet, tick sheet, progress notes, etc.) and what is documented may vary.

Personal Support Workers stay aware of all safety concerns for the residents. Ensuring all safety equipment is being used when necessary (I.E. bed rails being used when resident is in bed)

Personal Support Workers ensure the residents are comfortable in all situations. Both physically and emotionally.  Personal Support Workers provide socialization to residents and encourage independence!

Most Personal Support Workers, residents and the resident’s families, share close relationships with each other. Personal Support Workers have many residents to provide care for but are always ensuring all the residents are in their best condition. Socialization is a huge point of care that a Personal Support Worker provides. Talking about life stories or current issues and concerns the resident is having, can really improve their overall state of mind. Personal Support Workers can talk to family members, and assist them with any concerns they may have about their loved one.

Many Personal Support Workers go above and beyond their duties in a LTC facility, making the facility as much of a home setting as possible. Loved ones living in and moving to a LTC facility have to deal with the loss of their independence. Personal Support Workers try to enable residents to maintain some kind of independence while living in a LTC facility. Whether it is encouraging the resident to perform their own personal care needs or help another resident in any way. Even residents being involved in the activities department can give them a feeling of independence.

All professions working together in a LTC facility come together and try to make your loved one and all residents as comfortable as possible in their new home. Communication among all health team members and families involved, is essential to make the resident feel independent, safe, comfortable and happy in their new environment.

PSW's work with other Healthcare Professionals..it's true

By Cynthia Herron

Personal Support Workers work with a variety of healthcare professionals in their daily work lives.  Lately we have been in communication with bloggers/healthcare professionals who will from time to time guest blog for us. 

Today our guest blogger is Lloyd Drayton, who blogs at Recreational Therapy Jobs.  His article (which starts below) was originally posted on December 3^rd 2013, on Recreationaltherapyjobs.blogspot.com.  It is an enlightening article that we highly recommend.  We also recommend that you follow his blog.  Here is the article:

Recreational Therapy Key to Living Engaged Lifestyles for Seniors

By Lloyd Drayton

There are many seniors living across the country.  For many of them, there is a serious issue of living under-stimulated lives.  Many are in situations where this under-stimulation is leading to their physical, mental and emotional deterioration.  For those seniors in this situation, there is hope.  Many senior homes or community-based senior services are bringing in recreational therapy programs.  These new programs are helping their seniors to lead engaged and active lifestyles.

Recreational Therapy is a useful tool in helping seniors embrace healthy changes in their lives, or to recuperate from health setbacks.  It is especially good for seniors who don’t want to leave their home for whatever reason.  For those seniors, recreational therapy services can be delivered in the comfortable and familiar surroundings of their home.  

Living a continuously active lifestyle, as we get older will slow down the aging process and mental deterioration.  For many seniors this means that recreational therapy will have to play a significant role in their later lives.

Wandering Prevention Education Campaign - Yee Yong Centre

By Cynthia Herron

Yee Hong Centre has launched the Welcome Home public education campaign to raise awareness against wandering behaviour in the senior population with Dementia. The annual campaign currently with a series of forums, and subsequent information displays at Chinese malls and all Yee Hong locations.

To provide families with a keepsake tool, the Yee Hong Centre Social Service division has produced a fridge magnet with tips on what Dementia symptoms to watch out for, what to do to prevent wandering, and what to do when a senior is suspected to be missing.

An informative presentation is available for download here so that caregivers can familiarize themselves with what to watch out for while taking care of seniors with Dementia.

During Recession Former Office Worker Finds Career As Personal Support Worker

By Cynthia Herron

Like so many people today, Oliver Newhouse found his world turned upside down by the economic crisis.

“The company that I worked for 5 years was very much affected by the recent recession. They had to cut 50 jobs overnight and mine was one of them.” Oliver recalled sadly. “I was unemployed and I was sure I wouldn’t find suitable work given the current situation. I was aware that my company wasn’t the only one that had to resort to job cuts and I was sure I wouldn’t find work as an office assistant anytime soon.”

Oliver was desperate to find another suitable job, and he stumbled upon the possibility of working as a personal support worker in the healthcare industry.

“I was really intrigued by the possibilities of having a new career. I have a brother working in the healthcare industry so I asked him some questions about the possibilities of working as a personal support worker.”

Oliver thought that his brother has a great career working as an RN and figured probably any health related career might show some promise as well.

“My schedule was completely open so I pursued vocational training in personal support working. The course was not only personally rewarding but professionally as well. I knew that I was giving back something to my community. I get to help people in a way that I know how.”

It wasn’t Oliver’s original plan to work as a personal support worker but after finding personal support worker jobs, this new career gave him satisfaction that he never expected he could achieve again after losing his job as an office worker.

“Following my personal support certification, I can now say that I have never been happier with my new career as a personal support worker. It’s been three years now and I am now planning to make the down payment on my condo.”

So congratulations to Oliver and thank you so much for sharing.

Ministry Grappling With Home-Based Personal Support Worker Service Delivery

By Cynthia Herron

The Ontario Ministry of Health has been touting the governments increase in funding for personal support worker home care services.  Personal support workers and their union say there are troubles brewing.  

Many personal support workers who provide home care to elderly clients and those with disabilities feel that they are underappreciated and overworked.  According to several personal support workers who provide homecare, they feel like they have the lowest paid college-educated job out there.  The difference in pay between personal support workers who provide home care and those who work in healthcare facilities is substantial, and the result of those workers for institutions being unionized.

The union representing personal support workers have identified the competitive bidding process where contracts to serve clients at home go to the lowest bidder as another threat to the care provided.  They cited a recent study by the DeGroote School of Business that found that when contracts for providing home-based personal support worker services changed hands, nearly 67% of personal support workers who were laid off left the profession completely due to the upheaval it caused them.

The Ministry has indicated that while they were not willing to make any guarantees, they were not currently considering lifting the current moratorium on competitive bidding, but they are reviewing this issue.

From Job Hopper To Personal Support Worker

by Charlton Bowman – Guest Blogger

Hi, my name is Charlton. I’m a single guy living in Toronto. I’m 27 years old and I have probably worked in more jobs than anyone can count. I know I can’t count that high! Seriously, I once changed “careers” three times in less than a year– call center agent to receptionist to truck driver; I can never find a job that I am happy in.

I actually have a degree in business management, but I only put up with college since my dad wanted me to handle the family business. But I am still young and I really didn’t want to work in the same store for the rest of my life. There are a bunch of reasons why I move from one career to another. Believe it or not, the longest job I ever had was working as a pharmacy assistant for nearly a year.

Of course, it came to a point that I had to find a stable career that I would be happy in. When the
economy hit bottom I couldn’t afford to be picky anymore. I was considering going back to school to get a master’s degree. I was doing my research into that when I came across some information about becoming a personal support worker. I was really curious since there were a lot of ads offering personal support worker courses. So I read about personal support work and that gave me the idea of entering the healthcare industry instead. And why not? The health care industry is known to be very generous to their workers. Why not try my hand in this field as well!

Instead of getting a master’s degree, I enrolled in a personal support worker program. It took me twelve months to complete the whole course and after I graduated I was able to get a placement.

Believe it or not, I am now working as a personal support worker in one of the largest hospitals here in Toronto for two years now. I was recently promoted to a supervisory position. From constant job hopping, I finally found a job that is not only fun but life changing as well. I finally found what I have wanted to do with my life and that is to help and serve people who are in need of personal support help.

Where Can My Personal Support Worker Career Take Me?

As students look over the various career choices they have, the unemployment rate across the country is probably in the back of their minds. Knowing what careers are not only hiring, but offering a positive long-term outlook is very important. A personal support worker career is one of the most promising careers available today.

One of the best things about working as a personal support worker is the variety that the job holds on a daily basis. You not only get to work with the client, but your role is extended with direct interaction with the administrators, families, and medical and dental practitioners who also work with the client. Each and every day brings a truly unique experience.

Many personal support workers will use this starting position to launch their career in healthcare. Whether they choose to go up to the next level and become an administrator or look to go even further as and start their own business, this position will give them the “getting their feet wet” experience that is needed to decide if this is truly something that they want to spend the rest of their lives doing.

Another great aspect of this field is that it is expected to continue to expand over the next few years. While some industries are feeling the crunch of the recession, this does not appear to be one of them. Some estimates have this niche continuing to expand as far out as 2016. This is great news for anyone looking to make a career change or that is just coming out of school.

Something else to consider is the pay scale that will be available when you are first starting out. For the most part, personal support worker’s can expect to make a little over $30,000 the very first year that they are employed. When benefits, usually including free dental care from your employer, are factored in, this can be a very lucrative position.

Personal support worker is a great career with excellent job prospects.