Introduction to Caregiving The primary task of caregivers is to ensure that the clients are looked after

properly. In the case of caregiving for the elderly, this task must be taken on
LESSON 1: Overview of the Caregiving Profession
A caregiver is defined as a person who regularly attends to the needs or concerns
of a person with short- or long-term limitations caused by illness, injury, or
disability in a private household, childcare, or senior home support care.
Caregivers can work in three different areas: hospitals, healthcare facilities, or
homes. These settings may provide differences in the caregivers’ scope of work,
but the essence of their job as providers of care and assistance remains.
delicately and responsibly. Caregivers for the elderly look after the clients’
emotional, physical, social, and mental wellbeing. Aside from that, they provide
relief to family members who have been previously taking care of elderly family
members.
There are usually three (3) setups where caregivers work. Caregivers can work in
the home of the client, in a hospital, or in a care facility (home for the aged). 

USA, Canada, and other developed and rich countries in Europe and Asia see a
growing demand for caregiving services due to their large aging population. In
such countries, a caregiver can also be called by the following terms:

 Au Pair - These are foreigners living with American families for up to a

12year as part of their host family. They help with household work and child
or elderly care even without prior experience and thus receive a minimal
allowance or salary.
 Baby Sitter - This refers to a person who provides irregular, full-time, or
part-time supervisory custodial care for children.
 Mother’s Helper - refers to those who help a parent who stays at home with
childcare and other domestic work.
 Care Worker - term used in Japan to refer to those who perform caregiving
duties in the country’s aging society.
 Nanny- provide full-time and unsupervised child care on a live-in or live-out
basis.
 Caretaker -  term commonly used in Taiwan to refer to those who provide
care for the elderly or mentally or physically challenged children and adults.
 Nursery Nurse - pertains to a person who passed and has a certificate from
the National Nursery Examination Board in the United Kingdom. They went
through special training to provide care for young children
 Governess - typically qualified teachers who provide full-time or part-time
at-home education to children. They do not tend to the physical aspects of
childcare
 Personal Support Worker - term used in Canada to refer to caregivers who
assist elderly, ill, or injured people perform their daily personal care needs.

TOPIC 1: Caregiver’s Duties and Responsibilities

 Our work as caregivers gives us a great responsibility for our clients. Aside from
looking after their health, we must also ensure to protect their rights, including
their rights to confidentiality, and their trust in us caregivers and in our
organization. This is why we must familiarize ourselves with the legal and ethical
principles of healthcare. Knowing these things will also help guide us in our work
especially in terms of the legal aspect. 

TOPIC 3: Legal and Ethical Principles of Healthcare

LESSON 2: PARTICIPATING IN WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION

Topic 1: Obtaining, Conveying, and Storing Workplace Information

 o Taking note of these behaviors is helpful in understanding other
people’s thoughts and feelings.

3. WRITTEN

o uses writing, typing, or printing symbols like letters and

numbers to spread information. It is helpful when you need a
record of communication for reference, and when you need to
produce promotional materials for business development. 
o Books, pamphlets, blogs, letters, memos use written
communication. In the workplace, emails and chats are
frequently used.

4. VISUAL

o Information is conveyed through photographs, art, drawings,

sketches, charts, and graphs.
o Visual communication helps written and verbal communication
in explaining the information further.

Different Modes of Communication

1. VERBAL

o transfers information by speaking or signing a language.

o includes face-to-face, telephone, radio or television, or other media.
o Face-to-face
o Face-to-face discussions happen when information is exchanged
in the presence of both parties involved.
o Telephone
o Information can also be passed on through calls made on the
telephone, mobile phones, or other means.
o Radio and Television
o Radios and televisions spread information through the use of
language.
-
2. NONVERBAL
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
o done through discernable behaviors like body language,
gestures, facial expressions, and obscure behaviors such as Like any other process, there is a possibility of disruption in the process of
posture, clothing, and spatial distances. sending information to the receiver. Once this happens, the message sent might be
misinterpreted upon receipt. Here are some barriers that hinder effective 2. External Sources - these are the people you communicate with who are outside
communication. your company

1. SEMANTIC BARRIERS
 Suppliers
- Refer to the hindrance in the process of encoding and decoding
 Trade Personnel
messages into words or impressions usually due to the use of wrong
words, use of jargon, language differences, and the difficulty in  Local Government
understanding unfamiliar accents  Industry Bodies
 Customer/Guests/Clients
2. PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS

- Refer to the psychological factors that interfere with the

communication process, such as the sender’s and receiver’s state of Appropriate Medium of Communication in the Workplace
mind and emotions when the communication took place
1. Memorandum - workplace document intended to point out and resolve
- the issue
3. ORGANIZATIONAL BARRIERS 2. Circular - formal and official letter addressed to a group of people in the
- pertaining to factors related to the organizational structure, rules, and workplace, a department, or a whole organization
regulations in the company, authority relationships, etc. The 3. Notice - short formal documents that are sent to send urgent or important
presence of rigid rules, regulations and unmanageable procedures matters.
inhibits workers from communicating freely
- 4. Information Discussion
4. PERSONAL BARRIERS
5. Follow-up or Verbal Instructions
- The sender’s and receiver’s personal factors and preferences can act
as a barrier to effective communication. Prejudices, high 6. Face to Face Communication
expectations, and differences in points of view lead to
misinterpretation or lack of openness to the information being
shared.

COMMUNICATION SOURCES

Since communication is important in the workplace, the employees must know

whom to communicate with and how to do it properly. Here are the types of
sources of communication in the workplace:

1. Internal Sources - these are the people you communicate with who are
working with you in your organization

 Team Members
 Supervisor/Department Head
STORAGE OF COMMUNICATION

MANUAL VS COMPUTER/ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM


Storing Organizational Information
After collecting and assessing information for relevance to the activities of the
organization, they are usually stored for future use, or passed on to another person
for use within the organization. It is important to store the records in their
appropriate place after use in order for them to be easily located when needed
again. Since records can be stored for many years, the storage system needs to
keep records in good condition, secure and accessible. Your organization may
have different systems for storing print documents, electronic documents,
confidential documents, and archive documents. Archives are old documents that
are kept in long-term storage. These documents cannot be destroyed, for legal or
other reasons, before a specified date.
In the health care industry, there is a lot of information that must be kept
confidential such as the client’s name, date of birth, age, sex and address, medical
history, and guardianship orders. Because of this, organizations have developed
policies and procedures that aim to store and disclose information based on
privacy legislation and regulations.
Information Storage Protocols
Organizations establish policies and procedures that intend to handle and safely
keep their documents and records. This involves documentation, methods of filing
and retrieval, the release of information, and maintenance of confidentiality.
The following are examples of relevant information storage policies:
 Record keeping policy
 Access policy for confidential information
 Record disposal policy
 Confidentiality policy
 Privacy policy
Using Databases
A database is the structured collection of data. Examples of databases include sets
of client records saved on a computer or kept in files or folders in a cabinet or
contact details or records kept on an index card system. A protocol in naming the
files and storing them in appropriate folders must be established to help the
employees locate and access the files they need.
Be it in a physical or digital format, the information used must be up-to-date and
accurate. The information must also be managed well because its maintenance can
get difficult and critical when they become accessible to a lot of users. Hence,
there must be a time-efficient, simple, and effective system that the organization
can use to ensure the accuracy of data. In addition, employees must be aware of
their responsibilities in ensuring the maintenance of the system.
 Caregiving organizations for home care, respite care, and live-in care follow a flat
delivery structure that is headed by the care coordinator. The care coordinator then
Organizational Structure reports to the service coordinator who is part of the management team. The
management team is headed by the managing director.
- defined as the “system that outlines how certain activities are
directed in order to achieve the goals of an organization. These
activities can include rules, roles, and responsibilities” (Kenton,
2021).

- helps identify the flow of information between the levels within an

organization, thus also determining the process of submitting and
reporting important documents. Basically, the organizational
structure shows the company’s chain of command

Home Caregiving

Hospitals
The complexity of a hospital’s organizational structure depends on how big its have organizational charts as complex as the hospitals because of the numerous
organization is. Larger hospitals have a more elaborate structure, while smaller departments that work together to fulfill their function. Also, since these facilities
hospitals have it simpler. Hospitals are divided into departments that perform are homes to the clients, designated departments for domestic work such as
similar functions. In this example, the caregiving is under therapeutic services. catering and housekeeping are also established.

Reporting of Information Based on the Organizational Structure

Aged Care Facilities

Caregivers are also employees who follow a system when they need to report
Aged care facilities such as homes of the aged and nursing homes serve as a home
pertinent information such as the client’s care plan, and other documentation on
for older people who need holistic care and support. Some aged care facilities can
the client’s health status and vital signs, medication, complaints, etc. These
documents may be read by different people, from your colleagues and supervisors
to physicians and researchers, and even judges and lawyers.
Typically, the organizational structure is followed when submitting the necessary
reports. Thus, as caregivers who are only starting out, we usually submit our
reports to our immediate supervisors.
Participating in Workplace Meetings and Discussions
COMMUNICATING WITH INTERNAL SOURCE
Communicating with Team Members
Being in the caregiving profession means that you will be working with teams,
particularly the care support team, which is why it is important to communicate
effectively with them. Doing so not only makes your workplace healthy,
productive, and efficient but also helps you achieve your goals in caring for the
client. Here are some tips to ensure effective communication within your team:
o Take responsibility and be a good example of how you want your
members to act.
o Learn to adjust based on the personality of your team members by
understanding their personalities and their verbal and nonverbal
cues.
o Discuss communication issues instead of avoiding them. Do not let
the conflict get out of hand.
o Discuss rift among members, and try to resolve it by listening
sincerely to their grievances.
o Keep a tight agenda by knowing what to talk about and when to talk
about it, and by sticking to a plan.
o Encourage your members to ask questions and clarifications
especially if some instructions have been unclear.
Communicating with a Supervisor/Department Head
It is inevitable to communicate with bosses, supervisors and department heads, but
it does not need to feel intimidating. Here are some tips to communicate with
them effectively:
o Be direct, and avoid saying unnecessary things. Doing so shows that
you respect their time.
o Schedule an appointment with them. This also shows respect for
their time since you are acknowledging that they may not be
available all the time.
o Present visual representations and numbers when reporting to
support your data.
o Be prepared with an agenda by planning what you want to say and
making a list. This is helpful in avoiding giving incomplete data.
o Be solution-focused. When you raise a problem, think already about
how that problem will be solved.
COMMUNICATING WITH EXTERNAL SOURCES
Communicating with Suppliers
Effective communication with suppliers helps avoid future problems involving the
services and products provided to you. Here are some tips in doing so:
o Be specific with what you want, be it the amount, part, brand, etc.
 o Avoid using jargon that only you and those in your industry o Monitor local government performances.
understand. Give clear instructions and ask the suppliers if they o Talk directly to officials.
understood them correctly.
o Maintain a good relationship with your suppliers. Treat them as if
they are customers, and talk to them clearly, concisely, and politely.
o Make your transactions with your suppliers legal by preparing
Communicating with Industry Bodies
contracts and writing down agreements.
o Communicate with your suppliers regularly about their operation
The availability of industries and organizations is unpredictable, which is why it is
and availability so you will know you can get products or services sometimes challenging to communicate with them. Here are some ways to reach
from them at the time you need them. industry bodies:

Communicating with Trade Personnel o Reach them through email to make the communication have a more
formal appeal. However, keep in mind that not all industries
Trade personnel is skillful at specific tasks. It is important to keep communicating immediately respond to email.
with them because their service is almost always needed. Here are some tips on o Be updated on their newsletter and magazine because that is usually
communicating effectively with trade personnel: where the industry bodies’ projects are announced. Knowing these
things can help build rapport with your industry partner.
o Be specific about the service that you want from the trade personnel. o Attend network meetings to have the chance to talk to them
o Ask them how much time is needed to complete their tasks. personally. This is particularly helpful when you need face-to-face
o Ask them other things you need to prepare in advance. communications to raise urgent concerns.
o Do not be too demanding. Know their limitations.
Communicating with Customers/Guests/Clients
Communicating with Local Government
Effective communication with your clients helps maintain or improve your
organization’s reputation. Here are some points to remember to maximize your
Communicating with local government offices happens when you need to obtain
customer communication skills:
permits, requirements, and other legal matters set by the local government. Here
are some ways on how to communicate with the local government:
o Establish a genuine relationship
o Be present in the different events organized by the local government o Listen well
(ex. annual council planning, council consultations, other proposals) o Use easy words, and not jargon when explaining complex topics
to raise awareness in their internal processes. o Address issues or misunderstandings immediately

FORMS OF WORKPLACE INTERACTIONS

You can interact with colleagues, superiors, and clients in different ways. Here are
the different forms of interactions that happen in the workplace:

Face-to-face
o Persons interacting are physically present in a specific location at a
given time. However, because of technological advances that allow
people to communicate virtually, the use of this type of interaction is
decreasing.
o Advantages of face-to-face interaction:
o Boost efficiency since the exchange of information can
happen directly
o More effective for people who struggle with written
communication
o Adds a personal touch to interactions
Telephone
o This workplace interaction happens through phone calls within the
company (internally). This external (other companies and clients) or
internal (within the company). 
o Some telephones (facsimile machines/ fax machines) can telefax or
send copies of documents to other telefax machines.
o Telephone Etiquette
o In order to represent yourself and your company well,
you must follow telephone etiquettes such as the
following:
o Be prepared  1. When a co-worker is not around to take
1. There must be a pen and paper near every
telephone.  note of the caller’s message.
2. Have a list of frequently called numbers
and a telephone directory placed near the
telephones for quick reference.
o Answer in a professional manner 
1. Answer the call within three rings
2. Answer the call using these 4 courtesies:
1. Greet the caller
2. State your company/
department 
3. Introduce yourself 
4. Offer your help
o Answer the call enthusiastically.
o Address the callers consciously.
1. Take the safer route by addressing male
callers as Mister or Sir and female callers
as Miss or Ma’am. 
2. Only use the caller’s first name if he or
she suggests using his or her first name.
3. It is also acceptable to use the callers first
name if: 
1. You have established a
good rapport over a good
period of time. 
2. You have been called by
your first name. 
3. You know the caller, and
know s/he is comfortable
with a first name basis. 
o When placing the caller on hold: 
1. Ask for permission and then wait for an
answer. 
2. If there are several callers on hold,
remember the priority of each call. You
can list who is holding on to which line.
3. If you have to put a caller on hold for a
longer time than what you have stated,
get back to the call and inform the caller
of the current status of their request and
that you will need more time to put the
caller on hold. 
o Take accurate messages 
the call, explain his/her absence and take
2. In explaining the absence of a co-worker,
remember to create a good image of that
co-worker. Be tactful and do not give the
caller a wrong impression. You may also
 offer your assistance to the caller as a
substitute for your co-worker. o Types of Non-Verbal Communication
3. In taking accurate messages, do not
shorten the message to avoid o Facial Expressions
miscommunication. Make sure to include 1. Infer a person’s discrete emotional state
the following: using the configurations of different
1. A good message should micromotor or small muscle movements
include:  in the face
1. Whom the 2. While cultures have different forms of
message is for  non-verbal communication and behavior,
2. Caller’s name  facial expressions for happiness, sadness,
3. Date and time  anger, and fear are similar throughout the
o Do not make unnecessary mouth noises, so you must world.
avoid smoking, eating, chewing gum, or drinking when
taking phone calls. Keep in mind that the telephone’s o Gestures
mouthpiece is a microphone. 1. Used to express or emphasize an idea,
o The caller must have your undivided attention, which sentiment, or attitude through body or
is why you cannot hold two conversations limb movements
simultaneously. Also, remember to articulate better 2. Common gestures include waving,
when you are speaking on the phone. pointing, and using fingers to indicate
o Give spoken feedback signals to express your attention numeric amounts. However, these
to the caller and your understanding of the message. gestures are arbitrary and may vary
Examples of feedback signals include the words okay, between different cultures. 
good, sure, right, I see, I understand, etc. You can also
mirror back the caller’s phrases to help you absorb the o Paralinguistics
message. 1. Vocal communication separate from the
o Close the conversation in a way that will leave you a actual language such as tone of voice,
good impression with the caller. You may use the loudness, inflection, and pitch
following phrases:
1. Thank you for calling.  o Body Language
2. Please call again.  1. Uses physical behavior, expressions, and
3. We appreciate your call mannerisms to convey message
nonverbally, which is often done
instinctively rather than consciously
2. Examples are posture, bearing, stance,
and other subtle movements
Written
o This is a more formal type of workplace interaction that can appear
o Proxemics
as an electronic mail (email), letter, memorandum, instruction, form,
1. A non-verbal communication theory that
and circular.
describes people’s perception and use of
space to achieve communication goals
Nonverbal 2.  One of its core concepts is the type of
o This is a type of workplace interaction that does not use any spoken distances people keep: 
word. Rather, the message is conveyed through gestures, facial 1. Intimate: 0 – 18 inches 
expressions, tone of voice, eye contact, body language, posture, etc. 2. Personal: 18 inches – 4 feet 
 3. Social: 4 – 10 feet   Since written communication is another mode of communication, each employee
4. Public: over 10 feet  must be able to understand and create written text. Following workplace protocols
o Eye Gaze
1. The eyes have an important role in
nonverbal communication, especially in
determining the intent and honesty of the
person.
2. Looking, staring and blinking can convey
different messages.
o Haptics
1. Communication through the sense of
touch
2. Affection, familiarity, sympathy, other
emotions, status, and power can be
communicated through this.
o Appearance
1. The choices you make in the color,
clothing, hairstyles, and other factors
affecting appearances can be used in
conveying messages.
2. It can also alter physiological reactions,
judgments, and interpretations.
MEETING ETIQUETTE
Meetings are necessary in the workplace in order to discuss important
information. In the caregiving industry, you may attend meetings with other
members of the healthcare team or with your clients and their family members. In
doing so, you must remember to follow the meeting etiquette, which is a standard
of behavior that is expected in workplace meetings. Showing proper meeting
etiquette improves communication among those involved, increases the level of
productivity, and improves the relationship between colleagues and clients.
Completing Work-Related Documents
Submitting work-related documents is required in every workplace for they ensure
formality and record-keeping, and also demonstrate an employee’s
professionalism. Such work-related documents may include HR/Personnel forms,
telephone message forms, safety reports, etc.
is important to ensure that you are complying with your organization’s policies,
procedures, and expectations.
Here are some examples of administrative protocols or protocols that are set in the
workplace:
 designated officers required to approve or sign a document
 time frames set for completion or submission
 restrictions on who can access or use the information
 storage and archiving requirements
 obtaining comparative quotes for goods or services.
 Operation
Purchase Form - is an official order form filled out by the buyer to
communicate the specific services and products the
buyer intends to purchase from the seller, including
descriptions, quantities and prices. The seller creates
an invoice to bill the buyer for products and services
Application Form - is for the pre-screening of job applicants.
Standard pieces of information like contact
information, employment history, educational
background and references are included on the form
to communicate the said information to the
employer.
 Use
Internal Form - is a form used to collect information within the
workplace such as requisition forms, report forms,
accounting forms, etc.
External Form - is issued or given mainly to parties outside the business
to guarantee a transaction done with the company, such as
official receipts, sales invoices, purchase orders and check
or cash vouchers.
 Copies
 Single Copy Form - is used to save the only one purpose and kept by
any of the office employee
Multiple Copy Form - is prepared in more than two copies but
according to the requirements.  Leave Request Forms - used to document the requests of employees to take
 Accounting Forms
Examples of accounting forms include common printable accounting and financial
documents for business, balance sheets, journals, cash logs and expense
documents, and formal documents such as invoices, estimates, and business
statements.
 Correspondence Forms
Correspondence forms are written or digital communication done by two or more
parties. Examples of this are letters, emails, text messages, voicemails, notes, or
postcards. Correspondence forms serve as a paper trail and evidence of events and
dealings of the parties involved.
 Sales Forms
Sales forms are seller-generated documents that authorize the sale of the
specified item(s), issued after receipt of a customer's purchase order. It usually
implies that there will be no additional labor or material cost incurred for the
sale, except where it is used to initiate a production process
 HR/PERSONNEL FORMS
Job Application Forms - used in the hiring process to obtain the job
applicant’s information, such as personal information,
the position they are applying for, educational
background, references, etc. This type of form helps
employers in making a hiring decision.
Employee Information Forms - used by the Human Resources Department
to record important information about their
employees, especially those who are newly hired.
Employee Evaluation Forms - used in documenting and monitoring the
employee’s performance and progress. This type of
form allows employers and employees to identify
areas for improvement and take necessary corrective
actions.
a leave of absence from work. This type of form helps
in making the employees’ absences official and
approved by their superiors.
 Safety Reports
Safety Reports are used in documenting specific safety incidents, procedures, or
outcomes to help employers identify what needs to be improved in their
established safety measures.
 Telephone Message Forms
Telephone Message Forms are used by employees who constantly answer phone
calls in the workplace. They use these to take note of the date, time, name, and
message of the caller.
LESSON 3: Working in a Team Environment
TOPIC 1: Defining a Team
Collaborating with other people, and thus forming a team is a given when you
work in any industry. In the caregiving industry, you will most likely work with a
team when caring for the client. A team is a group of people with different skills
and tasks working together on the same task or objective with coordination of
functions and mutual support. In the healthcare industry, the common goal is
likely the improvement of the patient’s or client’s quality of life.
In order to be effective, a team must have the following characteristics:
1. All members understand the purpose, mission, or main objective of their
task.
2. Team members communicate openly, directly, and honestly.
3. There is a clear direction from the leader.
4. The progress of the team is regularly monitored.
 5. A clear organizational structure is present.
6. The team has access to the resources needed to accomplish its task.
Sufficient resources are available to allow the team to perform its
function, including skills, tools, facilities, and budgets.
7. The team members work harmoniously together.
TOPIC 2: Identifying the Roles and Responsibilities of Team Leader and
Members
The roles of the leader and the members should be clearly defined to ensure
efficiency in working towards your objectives.

GROUP STRUCTURE

Group structure pertains to the composition of a team. A proper group structure

contributes to making communication and collaboration more effective, thus
establishing teamwork.

As mentioned earlier, a team consists of members who work together to achieve a

common and valued goal. In the caregiving industry, all members of the team are
involved in caring for the client. One or several members are assigned as a leader
to oversee the tasks of each member. Another member can also be assigned as a
coordinator to help the members manage their tasks and monitor their progress.
The detailed roles and responsibilities of team members will be discussed in the
next topic. Team Leader:

o Comes up with a strategy to achieve the goal of the team

o Trains team members for any skills or knowledge that they need

o Monitors the team members' participation to know if the training is

effective or needs to be improved

o Gives clear instructions to the team members

o Listens to team members feedback

o Manages the flow of day-to-day operations.

o Creates reports to update the company on the team’s progress.

o Distributes reports to the appropriate personnel.

Team Coordinators:

o Usually report to team leaders and follow the tasks given to them
 o Organize and synthesize the outputs of members
o Sometimes relays information from the leader to the members and
vice versa
Team Members:
o Give the leader updates on the status of their tasks
o Take initiative in performing tasks that fall under their expertise
o Communicate their questions and concerns to team leaders
o Collaborate harmoniously with other team members
TOPIC 3: Care Support Team
Many people are involved in caring for the elderly to ensure that every aspect of
their needs is being tended to. Aside from the caregivers, other health care team
members, family members and relatives, and support organizations all play a role
in providing care for the elderly. As caregivers, these are the types of workers you
will collaborate with to take care of the client.
Here are the members of the Care Support Team.  to our professional growth and development. With this, many more opportunities
Care Support Team Reporting Relationship
When members of the care support team interact, they must understand their roles
to provide the correct information that other members might need to care for the
client.  
Clients and family members must:
 Provide accurate information about the client, including medical history
 Follow the care plan prescribed by the healthcare team members. For
example, they are responsible for setting up and attending medical
appointments, as instructed by the care plan.
 Ask questions and raise concerns that they may have regarding the care
plan
 Observe and report changes experienced by the client on time
 Help in preventing disruptive behavior from the client or any family
member
 Comply with the health care team’s instructions 
Health care team members must:
 Listen to the client and their family members
 Ask the client and family members their preferred extent of involvement
in providing care.
 Ask the client and family members if they have any concerns before
giving them the detailed status of the client. This will help them
understand the information better.
 Provide the information using lay terms to make sure the client and
family members understand what is going on
 Give the client and family members time to process the information and
ask questions.
 Provide the client, and family members access to important information
 Ask for the client’s and family members’ active participation in
providing care to the client
LESSON 4: Fostering Professional Growth and Development
In the workplace, it is not enough for us to perform our tasks as they are. We are
challenged to practice critical thinking, come up with innovative solutions, and
solve problems that will benefit the productivity of our workplace and contribute
become more available to us to help build a better life for our loved ones and us.
In this lesson, we will discuss solving and addressing general work problems,
developing career and life decisions, contributing to workplace innovation, and
presenting relevant information.
TOPIC 1: Solving and Addressing General Work Problems
It is typical for a workplace to have different kinds of people with different
personalities, perspectives, and attitudes. It is also common for these differences
to be the cause of workplace issues. If not addressed and resolved, these issues
may lead to stress and tension for the employees involved, and situations of
bullying, harassment, or discrimination, which could, in turn, affect their
performance, productivity, and work output. 
The following are common workplace problems experienced by employees, as
identified by Good Therapy:
  Interpersonal conflict  Organization - being organized helps in planning, prioritizing, and
 Communication problems carrying out important activities, which enables you to manage your
 Gossip essential workplace responsibilities
 Bullying  Goal Setting - being able to clearly and definitely know what you want
 Harassment to achieve helps in prioritizing and coming up with an action plan that
 Discrimination lets you reach your goals
 Low motivation and job satisfaction  Time Management - having strong time management skills enables you
 Performance issues to work on tasks with no distractions, defined priorities and clear focus,
 Poor job fit which helps set and meet deadlines and become highly productive.
 Self-motivation - completing tasks while encouraged by your desire to
succeed and not by external factors allows you to be more productive and
progressive with your projects and activities in the workplace.
 Stress Management - managing stress can be done through different
activities such as maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly,
meditation and journaling. It is important to have this skill so that you
can remain calm and manage your emotions in times of stress, and keep
steady progress at work.
 Accountability - being able to maintain responsibility for your actions
and thoughts helps in evaluating work and determining the best way to
move forward.

The following are ways in improving self-management skills:

LESSON 4: Fostering Professional Growth and Development

TOPIC 2: Developing Career and Life Decisions

SELF-MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

Self-management skills help people take control of their thoughts, feelings, and
actions. Having these skills allows them to set goals independently and work
toward achieving them. 

The following are examples of self-management skills:

 Gibbs Reflective Cycle

The Gibbs Reflective Cycle, created by American sociologist and psychologist

Graham Gibbs in 1988, set up a systematic way of thinking about what people
experienced during a specific event.

Step 1: Description
o Detail the situation, event and activity without going into the
conclusion. Make sure all information is complete.
o Helpful questions asked:
o What happened?
o When and where did it happen?
o Who were the people involved?
o What actions were done by the people involved? What
was the result?
Step 2: Feelings
o Discuss the feelings felt and thoughts that came up during the event.
They do not need to be discussed in detail, but awareness of these
thoughts and feelings must be obtained.
o Helpful questions asked:
o What did you feel before the event happened?
o What did you feel during and after?
TOPIC 2: Developing Career and Life Decisions
o How do you think others felt during and after the
event?
Step 3: Evaluation
o Assess if the experience described in Step 1 was good or bad.
Determine what approach was effective and how it worked, and
what approach was not. Be as objective as you can be.
o Helpful questions asked:
o What went well during the event? 
o Why did it go well?
o What didn’t go well?
o What did you contribute?
o What did other people contribute?
Step 4: Analysis
o Identify the learnings obtained from the situation to help you know
what to do in case something similar happens in the future. Steps 3
and 4 are usually done alongside together.
Step 5: Conclusion
o In this step, think about what else you could have done in the
situation in hindsight. Use the information from the preceding steps
to help you come up with a good conclusion.
 o Helpful questions asked:
o What were the positive and negative effects of the
situation?
o What will you do differently if it happens again in the
future?
o What skills do you need to develop to deal with such a
situation?
Step 6: Action Plan
o Come up with actions to be taken in future situations. Refer to the
conclusions identified in Step 5 when making concrete promises to
yourself on how to deal with such situations.

Developing and Maintaining Positive Attitude at Work

Your career and life at work are influenced by your attitude. It is important to
have a positive attitude in the work to have the following benefits:

 Foster a positive workplace environment

 Limit stress Boosting Self-Confidence
 Increase levels of productivity
 Give more energy Self-confidence is your belief in how good you are at something, or how likely
 Improve relationship with clients and workmates you are going to accomplish a task. However, it does not actually measure your
skill. 
 Demonstrate capacity as a leader
 Develop decision-making skills
 Inspire others
 demonstrated during the observation or research stage, such as what they said, did,
thought, and felt. The following are steps in empathy mapping:
Self-Regulation Theory
Step 1: Fill up the empathy map
The self-regulation theory (SRT) details the components and processes in
deciding on your thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. The SRT posits that the
 Create 4 quadrants on a board or paper
following factors determine our behavior:

 Look back on your notes, videos, and other recordings of the research or
 Personal standards of good behavior
observation, and take note of the following:
 Our drive to meet those standards
 Our level of awareness of our actions and situation
o What the client said - include significant quotes and keywords
 Range of our willpower to avoid temptations and choose the best path

Four Components of SRT according to Roy Baumeister o What the client did - describe, illustrate, or take pictures of
actions or behaviors
1. Standards - of desirable behavior;
2. Motivation - to meet standards; o What the client thought of - this must be based on careful
3. Monitoring - of situations and thoughts that precede breaking standards; observation and analysis about the client’s thoughts,
4. Willpower - allowing one’s internal strength to control urges. motivations, goals, needs, desires, and beliefs

These four components are interconnected to help establish our self-regulatory o How the client felt - this must also be carefully tackled. This can
activity. be gauged through subtle cues like body language, choice of
words and tone of voice.
Empathy Mapping
Step 2: Synthesize the needs

 Make a synthesis of your client’s needs using the empathy map as your
reference to help you determine your design challenge.

 Remember that the needs must be verbs or action words, which signify
activities and desires.

 Determine your client’s needs using your observed traits, more

specifically the contradiction between two traits. This refers to the
disconnect between what the client says and what the client does.

 You may use Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to help you

understand and define your client’s underlying needs. Refer to this
hierarchy also to determine which need must be prioritized:

An empathy map is a tool used to help you better understand your clients and
their needs. It has four (4) quadrants that signify key traits that clients
 innovation, businesses are able to respond faster and better to changing
environments, grasp opportunities and develop necessary partnerships to generate
and act on ideas.

Both clients and employees also benefit from innovation. For the clients,
innovation can provide them with improved products and efficiencies and better
prices. The benefit of innovation for the staff is the fostering of a better and more
productive workplace and thus making them more involved and happier at work.

Innovation in an Organization Leads to:

 Competitive advantage in capabilities that gives your organization an

 Write down the identified needs of the client.
edge over other competitors and provide better products and services to
clients
 Maximized return of investment (ROI) since innovation has a direct
impact on performance and profitability
 Increased productivity and improved efficiency
 Development of a positive company culture 

Step 3: Synthesize your insights

Encouraging Continuous Improvement in the Workplace
 Insight refers to your own realizations that can help solve the design
challenge.

 Combine the insights that you had, especially the ones about the
contradictions between two of the client’s attributes.

 Write down your insights.

TOPIC 3: Contributing to Workplace Innovation

Employees who continuously seek ways to improve themselves and enjoy

contributing to the innovation effort regardless of their roles are needed by
organizations to be more efficient and productive. It is helpful for employees to be
curious about work practices’ productiveness and effectiveness, instead of just
following them as they are. Innovativeness is a trait that is very essential to the
employees of an organization.

Innovation is important because it can lead businesses to new and better products
and services, and thus can help them achieve commercial success. With

7 Habits by Stephen Covey (R)
These habits are a set of guidelines in living a full, purposeful and good life.
Practicing these contribute to improving the workplace and working well with
others.
According to Covey, our self is divided into four parts that need to be fed and
developed:
1. The spiritual self
2. The mental self
3. The physical self
4. The social/emotional self
LESSON 5: Occupational Health and Safety Policies and Procedures
Occupational safety and health (OHS) standards are a set of rules established to
reduce, remove or replace hazards in the workplace and minimize their effects.
Organizations benefit from these standards because they help look after the
employees’ health, therefore making them more productive. Employers are
required to adopt such standards to ensure the safety of their employees.
Caregivers not only have the responsibility to maintain a safe environment for
their clients, but they are also tasked to comply with these standards to keep
themselves, their colleagues, and others protected from hazards and risks.
In this lesson, we will learn about OSH policies and procedures, how to manage
hazards and risks in the workplace, and how to exercise efficient, effective, and
sustainable practices in the workplace.
TOPIC 1: Practicing OHS Policies and Procedures
TOPIC 2: Identifying, Controlling and Preventing Workplace Hazards and Risks

In the caregiving industry, there are numerous health and safety hazards that you
may encounter, namely:

 Risk of illness or infection caused by blood or bodily fluids exposure

when changing diapers, administering first aid, etc.
 Risk of getting exposed to infectious diseases if you work closely with
infected persons or in areas with infected persons
 Getting exposed to chemicals in household cleaning products
 Getting exposed to soiled linen
 Working in awkward postures or doing tasks repetitively
 Risk of getting injured from lifting or carrying heavy loads
 Slipping, tripping, and falling
 Working with needles, sharp knives, and other potentially hazardous
tools
 Getting burnt from ovens, deep fryers, and steam from pots
 Stress
 Getting fatigued or experiencing other health due to long hours of work
or shift work
 Working alone
 Workplace violence
  Presence of multiple chronic diseases (accompanied by many different
medications)
 Cognitive deficits (affecting compliance with basic sanitary practices ie.
handwashing)
 Diminished ability to complain of or self-identify symptoms or increased
likelihood of presenting with atypical symptoms or signs of infection


Key Steps in Infection Prevention and Control Risk Assessment

1. Identify the problem, hazard, or threat.

2. Evaluate the problem to establish its magnitude and context.
3. Identify infection risks systematically.
4. Assess the probability of infection from happening and its consequences.
5. Determine and implement priority interventions to manage the risk.
6. Continually monitor the risk and evaluate the interventions’ success.

RISK FACTORS FOR INFECCTIONS (ELDERLY):

 Diminished immune response

 Advanced age
 Malnutrition