Practitioner Attitudes and Skills

Practitioners:

• Hold the necessary qualifications, including recognized training in helping relationships (e.g., social work, special education, etc.) or in the health field (e.g., personal support worker training).
• Have any additional training required to ensure general safety (e.g., cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid) and training specific to the conditions and particular needs of care recipients (e.g., safe transfers, personal care, management of behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, etc.).
• Demonstrate essential attitudes, including respect, non-judgment, self-reflection, and a commitment to providing compassionate and respectful care.
• Possess essential skills, including verbal and non-verbal communication skills, strong observation skills, adaptability, flexibility, creativity, ability to work as part of a team, awareness of personal limits, and management of professional boundaries.
• Have in-depth knowledge of the specific disease or condition of the care recipients they support.
• Are attentive to signs of caregiver exhaustion and explore, with caregivers, the possibility of accessing psychosocial support when needed.
• Pay attention to potential concerns or hesitations from caregivers and/or care recipients regarding respite services (e.g., guilt, mistrust) and adapt their intervention accordingly.
• Work within an ethical framework that respects the right to confidentiality of both caregivers and care recipients.
• Demonstrate strong adaptability and recognize the underlying needs behind care recipients’ behaviours.

The organization:

• Provides initial training to new practitioners aimed at developing the essential knowledge and skills needed to ensure safe, respectful, and adapted support for care recipients while promoting a beneficial respite experience for caregivers.
• Complements initial training with coaching provided by the coordinator or selected experienced practitioners to further develop the interpersonal and practical skills required for providing support in a respite care context.
• Provides ongoing training to keep pace with evolving practices and knowledge in the field of supporting caregivers and care recipients (e.g., workshops, seminars, etc.).