What is a Health Care Assistant?

In British Columbia the term Health Care Assistant (HCA) is used to describe a variety of workers including, but not limited to, the following titles: Community Health Worker, Care Aide, Long-Term Care Attendant, Nurse’s Aide, Assisted Living Worker, Home Support Worker and Personal Support Worker.

These frontline care providers are an integral and valued part of a multi-disciplinary team that work in a variety of practice settings including home support, assisted living, long-term care, special care units, acute care and other home and community settings.

While the educational requirements are the same, the work environments are very different. A Care Aide works in a team environment or acute facility and a Community Health Worker works independently, travelling to client’s homes. The demographic cared for are generally medically fragile, cognitively complex, and diverse in age.

Typical Responsibilities of a Care Aide or Community Health Worker may include:

• Personal care and activities of daily living including; bathing, taking temperature, personal grooming, skin care, medication reminders, pulse and respiration, and oral hygiene
• Non-sterile dressing applications
• Mobility and transfer assistance with related lifts
• Observing and reporting changes in client behaviour and condition