Application
This unit describes the required skills and knowledge required by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers to support the health of Elders in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities. Support may be provided to Elders living at home, in residential aged-care facilities, or in community organisations providing health care specifically for the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community.
This unit applies to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers working as part, and under the supervision, of a multidisciplinary primary health care team to provide a range of primary health care services to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian/New Zealand standards and industry codes of practice.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements define the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria specify the level of performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Promote healthy lifestyle practices for Elders | 1.1 Identify strategies that support Elders to adopt healthy lifestyle practices 1.2 Promote social, cultural and spiritual wellbeing of Elders in the community 1.3 Respect, recognise and accommodate Elders’ interests and life activities when delivering services 1.4 Assist Elders to maintain social, cultural and spiritual connectedness with their community |
2. Provide information to Elders on changes associated with ageing | 2.1 Identify common problems associated with ageing and in particular for people of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander background 2.2 Provide information on physical changes associated with ageing 2.3 Assist Elders to recognise impact that changes associated with ageing may have on daily activities 2.4 Communicate situations of risk or potential risk associated with ageing |
3. Support the rights and interests of Elders | 3.1 Encourage and support the Elder and/or their advocate(s) to be aware of their rights and responsibilities 3.2 Conduct work in a way that demonstrates a commitment to access and equity principles 3.3 Adopt strategies to empower the Elder and/or their advocate(s) in regard to their service requirements 3.4 Provide information to the Elder and/or their advocate(s) to facilitate choice in their decision-making 3.5 Recognise and report to appropriate person when an Elder’s rights are not being upheld 3.6 Provide information to the Elder and/or their advocate(s) regarding mechanisms for lodging complaints 3.7 Identify indicators of Elder abuse and respond appropriately in line with organisation policies and procedures |
4. Support Elders who are experiencing loss and grief | 4.1 Recognise signs that the Elder is experiencing grief and report to appropriate person 4.2 Use culturally appropriate and safe communication strategies when an Elder is expressing their fears and other emotions associated with loss and grief 4.3 Provide the Elder and/or their support network with information regarding relevant support services as required 4.4 Provide ongoing support and follow-up for the Elder 4.5 Recognise and seek appropriate assistance when debriefing services are required |
Evidence of Performance
The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role.
There must be evidence that the candidate has:
worked effectively with at least three Elders in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities by:
- communicating in a culturally appropriate and safe manner with Elders at all times
- supporting healthy lifestyle practices to promote an individual Elder’s social, cultural and spiritual wellbeing
- supporting the Elder to undertake own interests and life activities
- delivering services to each Elder with a focus on quality and commitment to promoting individual rights to maintain social, cultural and spiritual connectedness with community
- providing information on the impact of ageing on physical and mental activity
- advocating individual rights when receiving services
provided appropriate information and support, and taken appropriate action for Elders who:
- have experienced abuse and/or
- are suffering grief and loss.
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role.
This includes knowledge of:
- organisation policies and procedures and legislation or regulations relating to:
- client confidentiality
- referral, including various levels of urgency, and follow-up of client
- mandatory reporting
- notifiable communicable diseases
- limits of own ability and authority
- reporting procedures
- documentation
- key issues facing Elders and their carer(s) in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities
- available supports at local, state, territory and federal level specifically for Elders in the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community
- current philosophies of service delivery in aged care
- impact of ageing demographics on funding and service delivery models
- current legislation, policy and programs, including The Commonwealth Home and Community Care program (HACC), Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Government community care directions
- regulations and legislation relevant to work in the aged care and home and community care sector, including issues such as:
o Elder abuse
o drug administration
o access and equity
o duty of care implementation in home and community settings and worker roles
o basic home fire safety including high-risk groups, behaviour that contributes to fire injury and fatalities, and smoke alarm placement, installation and maintenance
- principles of ‘Ageing in place’ and ‘Positive ageing’, including:
o managing ageist attitudes
o impact of changing expectations of clients, families and wider community
o understanding individuality of ageing
- key aspects of quality frameworks and how they link together
- quality monitoring activities, including:
o audits
o collection of data
o visits by external bodies
- key aspects of regulatory/ accreditation quality standards in relation to delivery of services in aged care and home and community care
- foundation aspects of common physiological, chronic and age-related conditions, including:
o arthritis and other musculoskeletal problems
o depression and neurological disorders
o diabetes
o frailty and deconditioning
o heart, lung and vascular disease
o incontinence
o skin disorders, including skin cancers
o stroke
o dementia
o osteoporosis
- rights and responsibilities of Elders and workers in aged care and home and community care sector
- stages of loss and grief
- strategies for managing complaints
- recognising limits of own ability and authority
- organisation polices, guidelines and procedures.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must be demonstrated working:
in a health service or centre
as part of, and under the supervision of, a multidisciplinary primary health care team
with Elders from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities.
In addition, simulations and scenarios must be used where the full range of contexts and situations cannot be provided in the workplace or may occur only rarely. These are situations relating to emergency or unplanned procedures where assessment in these circumstances would be unsafe or is impractical.
Simulated assessment environments must simulate the real-life working environment where these skills and knowledge would be performed, with all the relevant equipment and resources of that working environment.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.
Assessment must be undertaken by a workplace assessor who has expertise in this unit of competency and who is:
an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Worker
or:
accompanied by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who is a recognised member of the community with experience in primary health care.
Foundation Skills
The Foundation Skills describe those required skills (language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills) that are essential to performance. | |
Reading | in order to interpret relevant information in a range of health resources and policy documents |
Other foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit.