Personal Support Worker Tips E-news April 2016

 

 

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April 2016

 

Happy Spring! I hope it has reached all of you as well. This week looks to be gorgeous in the Salem area, which means it's time to get outside!  Coming from a background in health promotion, I have to say it: Remember to use Sunscreen!  Anything over an SPF 30 is not going to change the amount of harmful UV rays, so keep that in mind. Remember to encourage the person you support to use sunscreen as well! Many of the medications individuals who experience IDD take can make them more sensitive to sun. Of course this is not true for everyone, but being aware of the effects of harmful UV rays is important - even on cloudy days.

Before you do slather up, make sure you check with everyone about potential allergies or sensitivities to lotions.

Here's an update on some of the things going on in the Personal Support Worker Training Program.

 

Oregon Intervention System - General Level (OIS-G)

We have two OIS-G classes this month:  

April 12 & 13 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Bend, Oregon

April 28 & 29 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Roseburg, Oregon

 If you need to renew or take OIS-G to work for your employer, please fill out the “Request for Training” Form (you can find it here: http://go.usa.gov/cEkqC ) or contact us at Training.OHCC@state.or.us to request one. Class size is limited to 12.

Fill out the form if you are interested, no matter where you live in the state. If ou are a PSW and meet the criteria, I will do my best find a class for you.

 

Personal Support Worker Orientation

The state has re-organized the Oregon.gov site, which means new URLs for information and different resources. Personal Support Worker an eXRPS Orientations are now listed on our website at this URL: http://go.usa.gov/cmTRz . It’s a searchable page. You can organize the information by county, date, or type of orientation (PSW or eXPRS)

There are many new orientation sessions available, so check it out.

Training Information

Did you know we have a newsletter with the courses  offered around the state?  The recent issues is attached for you here. You can always download it from our website here: http://go.usa.gov/cs5uV You can also keep up by logging into the Registry and registering for classes yourself.

 

PSW Tips, Tricks, and Tools

This month's tip goes back to the power of visual tools. We often think of visual tools as something a person uses until they learn something - and then we take it away!  The truth is, we all use visual tools: calendars, clocks, road signs, strategically placed sticky notes, and highlighting are all common visual tools we use each day.

I found this one during one of those meandering moments on the internet. I really like it for lots of reasons. (click on it to go to the website).

Clearly this is set up for a student to be able to match the nightly routine.  As I thought about it, one could use this many different ways. For example,  one could color code (or add a photo to the chart on the wall) the routine to get ready for work, the time a person works, or even the staff schedule for the PSWs. Any regular schedule would work.

Visual tools are a a powerful way to develop tools that provide the least invasive support. Think about it. Visual tools are not judgmental, they don't get frustrated, and they send the same message every time. They take time to learn and must be carefully developed in partnership with the person you support.

 

 Send your ideas and questions!

Let me know what will best support you, a Personal Support Worker, through this E-Newsletter. Ideas? Send them my way. Tips? I'd love to share them.

Send your ideas and comments to Training.OHCC@state.or.us and put PSW E-News in the subject line.

 

Have a great week!

 

Warmly,

Joan E. Medlen, MEd, RDN
Personal Support Worker Training Coordinator
Oregon Home Care Commission

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Looking for work? Looking for a training? Wonder when you need to renew your Criminal History Check? 
You can find it all on the Registry (http://or-hcc.org)

 

• April_May+2016.pdf