Visiting Homemakers, Housekeepers and Related OccupationsNOC
6471Introduction Visiting homemakers provide ongoing or short-term home support services for individuals and families during periods of incapacitation, convalescence or family disruption. They are employed by government and non-profit agencies, home care agencies, or are self-employed. Housekeepers perform housekeeping and other home management duties in private households, embassies and other residential establishments. Companions provide elderly and convalescent clients with companionship and personal care in residential or institutional settings. They are employed by home care agencies or may be self-employed. Foster parents care for children or family members in their homes under the direction of a foster parent agency.
Visiting Homemakers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations:
read memos from members of the health-care team and notes from the client or the client's family. (1)
may read recipes to prepare food which clients request. (1)
read newspapers and letters to the patient. (2), (frequently)
may refer to orientation material and regulations on procedures, policies, behaviour and safety requirements set forth by home care agencies or foster parent agencies. (2)
read newsletters from social service agencies or associations announcing workshops. (2)
read reports from agencies outlining policy changes. (2)
may read notes from a foster child's case file about the child's background, medical history, mental health and special needs. (2)
read first-aid manuals. (3)
read text books, pamphlets and journal articles to learn more about health issues such as chronic diseases, mental disorders, exercise and nutrition. (3)
Visiting Homemakers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations:
may read street signs. (1)
may record client names, dates, homemaker codes and expenses on an assignment chart. (1), (daily)
may read lists of phone numbers and addresses or use the phone book, for example, to arrange medical appointments or to contact emergency services. (1)
may read labels on medicine bottles and cleaning products to ensure safe use. (1)
may read sales receipts and banking statements for clients. (1)
may complete mileage reports. (1), (weekly)
may read maps to locate new clients' addresses. (2)
may read work schedules and assignment sheets to determine work locations, times and duties. (2), (daily)
may read weekly activity schedules and menus. (2), (daily)
may review client files which outline the type and frequency of services delivered to each client and relevant history. (daily or montly) (2)
may fill in reports or logs on daily care given to clients. (2)
Foster Parents:
may read school report cards to determine where more help is needed. (2)
Examples of Creating Documents
Foster Parents:
may create and update a chart of the chores which each child will be responsible for on particular days. (monthly)
Complete forms by marking check boxes, recording numerical information or entering words, phrases, sentences or text of a paragraph or more. The list of specific tasks varies depending on what was reported.
Read completed forms containing check boxes, numerical entries, phrases, addresses, sentences or text of a paragraph or more. The list of specific tasks varies depending on what was reported.
Read tables, schedules or other table-like text (e.g., read work shift schedules).
Create tables, schedules or other table-like text.
Enter information on tables, schedules or other table-like text.
Obtain specific information from graphs or charts.
Interpret scale drawings (e.g. blueprints or maps).
Obtain information from sketches, pictures or icons (e.g., computer toolbars).
The symbols >, >> and >>> are explained in the Notes section.
Visiting Homemakers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations:
may write a daily log of work accomplished. (1)
may write short notes to the next worker or a family member about the client's condition and needs. (1), (daily)
may record reminders on a calendar. (1)
may complete a client report form, recording changes in the client's mental, physical or emotional condition. (1)
may complete forms for supervisors, outlining observations and comments on clients' daily activities, behaviour and special needs. (1)
may write personal and business letters for clients. (2)
Foster Parents also:
may write brief status reports to the agency responsible for child welfare. (2), (weekly)
may write reports summarizing a child's activities and behaviour. The report must be factual, containing information such as progress at school and relationships with siblings and peers. The report should be suitable for use in court. (3)
Visiting Homemakers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations:
may shop for their clients, count change and complete expense forms. (Money Math),
(1), (frequently)
may keep track of clients' grocery money and determine if they have enough food to last until the next visit. (Scheduling or Budgeting & Accounting Math),
(1), (frequently)
Foster Parents also:
may total the costs of clothing purchased for foster children and submit receipts to the agency responsible for child welfare. (Scheduling or Budgeting & Accounting Math),
(1), (frequently)
may measure specified amounts of medication. (Measurement and Calculation Math),
(1)
may measure and record the height and weight of each child. (Measurement and Calculation Math),
(1), (monthly)
may measure quantities of ingredients for recipes, doubling or halving as necessary. (Measurement and Calculation Math),
(2)
may estimate how much food to prepare for a client's meal, depending on the client's state of health and appetite. (Numerical Estimation),
(1)
may when planning weekly activities, estimate the time it will take to do various chores. (Numerical Estimation),
(2), (frequently)
may estimate the amount of money to be spent on items for foster children. (Numerical Estimation),
(2), (daily)
The symbols >, >> and >>> are explained in the Notes section.
Read and write, count, round off, add or subtract, multiply or divide whole numbers.
For example,
counting the number of hours worked in each visit and adding the total number of hours every two weeks on time sheets.
Rational Numbers - Fractions
Read and write, add or subtract fractions, multiply or divide by a fraction, multiply or divide fractions.
For example,
dividing recipe amounts by half to make half-portions.
Rational Numbers - Decimals
Read and write, round off, add or subtract decimals, multiply or divide by a decimal, multiply or divide decimals. Use decimals mainly to refer to dollars and cents.
For example,
using decimals to budget and record money transactions.
Rational Numbers - Percent
Read and write percents, calculate the percent one number is of another, calculate a percent of a number.
For example,
calculating the percentage of the year that a foster child has been boarded.
Use a ratio showing comparison between two quantities with the same units. Use a proportion showing comparison between two ratios or rates in order to solve problems.
For example,
using a specified ratio of cleaner to water when preparing a cleaning solution.
Perform measurement conversions.
For example,
converting between imperial and metric measurements, such as teaspoons and millilitres, when cooking or measuring medication.
Areas, Perimeters, Volumes
Calculate areas. Calculate perimeters.
For example,
the foster parent calculating the area and perimeter of their house and yard to help the agency determine how many children may be placed with the family.
Visiting Homemakers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations:
may contact medical staff in emergencies. (1)
may talk with grocery store clerks, doctors, physiotherapists or suppliers of items such as walkers, canes and oxygen. (1)
may discuss schedule changes, tasks and procedures with clients. (1)
may talk with the client's family to inform them of the client's progress and to learn about the client's condition and needs. (1)
may comfort clients or foster children if they are upset. (2)
may entertain clients by reading to them, talking to them or taking them on trips or visits. (2)
may talk to supervisors to learn about courses, report on the progress and condition of clients and discuss new cases. (daily or monthly) (2)
Foster Parents also:
may talk with doctors, teachers, guidance counsellors, school principals and other professionals who provide services to the child. (2), (frequently)
may confer with court officials, if the child is the subject of a custody case. (2)
may talk with the Foster Parent Association supervisor, social welfare agency staff administrators and the child's social worker in group meetings or conferences to co-ordinate care for the child. (2)
may teach children how to get along with others and negotiate conflict when there are behavioural problems. (3)
Visiting Homemakers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations:
encounter a lack of food to cook proper meals. They find what food they can and make the best of the situation or grocery shop for the patient, reporting the incident to supervisors if necessary. (1)
determine why clients are upset and calm them down. This is particularly difficult when working with mentally challenged clients. (2), (frequently)
may encounter resistance from clients who refuse to eat, take their medication or bathe. They explain the importance of keeping up with the necessities of life and use humour to make the clients feel more relaxed and willing to co-operate. (2)
may encounter problems setting boundaries and defining roles with a client. They explain in detail the parameters of their job and may call upon agency personnel to reinforce the information. (2)
may deal with hostile patients. They call upon family members or doctors to get to the roots of the hostility and to recommend a solution. (2), (occasionally)
may contend with medical emergencies. They may call an ambulance if the case is too serious for them to deal with. (3), (occasionally)
Foster Parents:
may work with behavioural abnormalities in children. They call upon the resources of the children's aid agency to learn how to deal with psychological issues. (3)
may cope with a child's learning disability, which requires special attention both at home and school. They call upon teachers to provide advice and may seek the assistance of special tutors. (3)
Visiting Homemakers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations:
may decide what patients' will wear and what they will eat. (1), (daily)
may decide whether patients are well enough to participate in outside activities. (1), (daily)
decide the sequence of activities for cleaning. (1), (daily)
may decide whether to accept new clients. (2), (frequently)
decide whether a patient is receiving too little or too much home care and determine when to terminate care. (2), (frequently)
decide when they must call for medical or emergency services. The decision is based on their knowledge of the patient's medical condition. (2), (daily)
Foster Parents also:
decide, with a team of social workers, whether a child should be allowed to visit its natural family, based on the child's feelings and an assessment of the natural family's condition. (3)
Visiting Homemakers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations:
Own job planning and organizing
Homemakers, housekeepers and workers in related occupations receive assignments and individual care plans from their supervisors in the agency. They plan a daily activity schedule to take into account duties such as cleaning, grocery shopping and making medical appointments. Depending on the clients' needs, they may need to adjust their schedule. Foster children often fit into a pre-existing family routine.
Visiting homemakers, housekeepers and workers in related occupations mostly work alone or independently. Some work with helpers or, in the case of foster parents, with other family members.
Some visiting homemakers, housekeepers and workers in related occupations work as part of a larger team which includes agency personnel and the professionals who provide support to the agency.
Visiting homemakers, housekeepers or workers in related occupations have an ongoing need to learn. Visiting homemakers and foster parents may require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid courses and refreshers. Workers obtain new knowledge by attending seminars or workshops on specific health care topics which are applicable to their clients, ranging from mental health to palliative care or Alzheimer's disease. Home Support Attendant programs are available in many locales. Housekeepers learn new duties on the job in order to respond to specific needs of ambassadorial, residential or institutional clients.
In addition to collecting information for this Essential Skills Profile, our interviews with job incumbents also asked about the following topics.
Physical Aspects Visiting homemakers, housekeepers and workers in related occupations use many body positions on the job. They stand, walk, sit, bend and kneel to cook, clean and help clients and foster children bathe, dress, get out of bed and exercise.Attitudes The visiting homemakers, housekeepers and workers in related occupations interviewed felt that visiting homemakers, housekeepers and workers in related occupations should be patient, understanding, positive, compassionate and sincere. They should enjoy working with people.Future Trends Affecting Essential Skills Changes which may affect the Essential Skills used by these workers in the future include changes in homemaker service requirements which will place more focus on personal and medical care rather than on cleaning. This will mean that some workers will need to update their personal care qualifications.
K.
Notes
This profile is based on interviews with job incumbents across Canada and validated through consultation with industry experts across the country.
indicates that most respondents use that skill
indicates that some respondents use that skill
indicates that few respondents use that skill
indicates that none of the respondents use that skill
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