Personal Support Worker

Healthcare Heroes: How Graduates of PSW College Are Leading the Fight Against COVID-19

May 15, 2020

Personal Support Worker with senior women

Before the pandemic, personal support workers would visit clients’ homes multiple times a day, helping with tasks like bathing and laundry, while providing meaningful conversation along the way. Most PSWs would also go out of their way to cook their clients’ favourite homemade meals and keep in touch with their families.

Although COVID-19 has altered this routine drastically, it hasn’t changed the heart behind it. Personal support workers are still committed to caring for their clients as well as each other. If this is the kind of career you see yourself in, read on to learn more about how PSWs are fighting to retain normalcy during this global pandemic.

PSWs Help Free Up Much-Needed Hospital Space

With an influx of patients requiring intensive care, many people understand how important it is to free up as much space as possible in hospitals. But what many people may not know is that PSWs are essential to this equation. Personal support worker courses train you to identify and treat issues in vulnerable populations before they become problems that require hospitalization.

For instance, PSWs can treat and clean wounds, so they don’t become infected. PSWs are also able to detect deteriorating cognitive functions in the elderly. Conditions like Alzheimer’s increase the risks that elderly people face, so it is important to detect them early and put the necessary precautions in place.

PSW College Graduates Are Working Extra Hard to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

Personal support workers are committed to the health and safety of their clients, and they’re showing it by strictly adhering to COVID-19 regulations. This means disinfecting any surface they touch, being extra vigilant when preparing meals, and performing routine temperature checks. It also means finding creative ways to complete their duties while respecting physical distancing measures.

Women washing hands in the bathroom
 PSWs must be vigilant with handwashing when providing direct care for clients

These extra precautions are no doubt necessary during these difficult times, but it’s important to acknowledge that they put extra pressure and strain on PSWs – especially since policies are changing constantly. Being a PSW during a pandemic certainly isn’t a walk in the park, but being able to help others in their times of great need makes it an exceptionally rewarding career.

Personal Support Workers are Standing Up for Fellow Colleagues

As with anyone on the frontlines of this pandemic, PSWs are worried about contracting COVID-19, as well as unknowingly passing it on to others. PPE is essential in mitigating transmission – but with shortages of gloves, masks, and other essential equipment across industries, PSWs are also in dire need of supplies.

Doctor or nurse wearing protective rubber gloves on white background with copy space. Health care
PPE is especially important for PSWs as they are working directly with the vulnerable

Fortunately, some PSW college grads are sticking up for one another, demanding the supplies and regulations necessary to keep everyone safe. Lynn Steele, a PSW from Aurora, Ontario, made headlines demanding clear COVID-19 protocols and adequate PPE for personal support workers. “I’m standing up for the workers because they should not be exposed to these things, and the people they’re taking care of shouldn’t be exposed to it either,” Steele declared.

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