Personal support workers (PSWs) are some of the great unsung heroes of Canadian health care. With great compassion and respect, they provide care and the necessities of life for those who need it most.
Their work isn’t glamorous. It can be mentally, physically, and emotionally demanding. Often, it’s thankless. But if you ask a PSW why they do what they do, they’ll invariably tell you that helping people is their most significant reward.
Awareness of the value these professionals provide – for clients, for care agencies and facilities, and for the health care sector as a whole – is growing.
That said, we believe that PSWs are still seriously under appreciated. In this post, we’ll tell you why we think everyone should do a little something to acknowledge the contributions of those in the field.
What it Takes to be a Personal Support Worker
Canada’s population is aging. As our citizens get older, their care needs are becoming more urgent and complex. From long-term care facilities to home care agencies, personal support workers have never been more in demand.
But it takes a special kind of caregiver to excel in these roles.
A great PSW is flexible. She’s willing to go above and beyond, to learn new skills and take on new responsibilities, to adapt quickly to the needs of her clients.
Personal hygiene. Activities of daily living. Social stimulation. Delegated health care tasks. Homemaking. Because the scope of services they provide is so broad, PSWs touch on practically every area of their clients’ lives.
Patience and compassion are two other traits an excellent PSW has no shortage of. He listens actively, paying close attention to the body language and mannerisms of his clients.
As he gets to know the people he works with, he learns to intuit their needs almost immediately (after all, some of his clients may be nonverbal). This skill springs from a natural ability to imagine the man with dementia as a father, the girl struggling with mobility issues as a sister.
Mental strength and endurance are also important. A great home care PSW walks bravely into the houses and apartments of people she doesn’t know. She may have to contend with clients who are are unable or unwilling to welcome her.
If she works in a facility, her environment is busy and demanding. At any given time, she’s caring for numerous people – several of whom may be prone to agitation or confusion. These are conditions not all of us are mentally equipped to handle.
Growing Appreciation
There’s an ongoing push to increase our general awareness of the contributions nurses make to health care.
This movement has been picking up steam for years. It was back in 1985 that the Canadian government instituted National Nursing Week.
More recently, studies have uncovered some truths about nursing that may seem, to many of us, like common sense. Such as: nurses do more than support doctors by adequately carrying out their functions. Their knowledge contributes directly to the success of hospitals.
We couldn’t be happier to see nurses receiving this type of recognition.
But what about PSWs? Where are the studies measuring the value these professionals provide for the organizations they work for?
Returns on investment into the support and professional development of PSWs would undoubtedly be high, given the broad scope of activities these individuals perform.
And yet, despite all that PSWa do, many Canadians have no idea who they are. Some never even hear the term “personal support worker” until a loved one requires compassionate care.
Fortunately, things are starting to change, especially in Ontario.
In 2010, the Ontario’s PSWs were given their own day of appreciation – an important symbolic gesture. More importantly, in 2015, the provincial government put a plan into motion that will increase personal support worker wages over the next several years.
Will these changes result in greater public recognition of PSWs? Only time will tell.
The True Value of Compassion
So, why are we so thankful to PSWs for the incredible work they do?
Personal support workers ensure that the care their clients receive is complete. From the practical to the intimate, PSWs see what needs to be done to make people feel happier, healthier, and more comfortable. They perform these duties with great sensitivity.
When PSWs look at our parents, our grandparents, and our siblings, they don’t see tasks to be completed. They see people with unique personalities, histories, and quirks.
This is true even of clients who, due to their conditions, display challenging or frightening behaviours.
In the years ahead, many of us will require professional care. Don’t we want the person tending to us to be patient and compassionate? Won’t we be hoping for someone who’s responsive, resilient, and adaptive to our needs?
To Canada’s hardworking PSWs, those of us at Aetonix would like to say, thank you for all that you do.
Feature Image: Howe Kee Wong
