Caregiver Training School

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Training Modules — What You Master in 2 Months

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Month 1 Training Programme

• Introduction to home based care and the caregiver role: The scope of practice of the home based caregiver, the relationship between caregiver, client, family, community and the health care team, professional ethics, patient rights, dignity, confidentiality and the legal responsibilities of the caregiver within the scope of SAQA US 117488
• Anatomy and basic health principles: Foundational understanding of the human body systems — musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological and digestive — and how disease and disability affect body function, daily living activities and the client's ability to manage at home
• Health assessment tools and skills: Using assessment tools to determine the current health condition of the client — vital signs measurement (temperature, pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate), pain assessment, nutritional status observation, mental status evaluation and skin integrity assessment in the home environment
• Communicable diseases — identification and management: TB (tuberculosis), HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, hepatitis and other communicable diseases prevalent in South African communities — disease patterns, transmission routes, infection control measures, PPE requirements and the caregiver's responsibilities in supporting communicable disease management at home
• Chronic and non-communicable diseases: Diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, cancer and COPD — identifying symptoms, monitoring the client's condition, supporting medication adherence, dietary guidance, activity modification, reporting changes to the care team, and preventing complications at home
• Congenital and hereditary diseases: Identifying and assessing congenital conditions (cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, spina bifida) and hereditary conditions present in the client — understanding their impact on daily living and the specific care adaptations required in the home based care programme
• Family coping skills assessment: Assessing the family's capacity to participate in and sustain the home based care programme — identifying caregiver burden, family resource constraints, emotional support needs, and strengths — and planning the care programme in a way that is realistic and achievable for the family
• Home environment assessment and hazard identification: Systematically assessing the home environment for physical hazards affecting the client's safety and daily living — fall risks (loose mats, poor lighting, wet floors), access barriers, sanitation concerns, fire hazards, electrical risks, and inadequate ventilation — and rectifying identified hazards in accordance with agreed procedures
• Waste disposal and infection control: Correct methods for handling and disposing of used sharp instruments, used dressings, body fluids and contaminated waste in compliance with the Hazardous Substances Act and relevant health and safety legislation — sharps containers, double-bagging, bio-hazard waste handling and safe storage procedures for use in a home setting

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Month 2 Training Programme

• Personal care procedures — practical application: Assisting clients with activities of daily living — bathing, oral hygiene, grooming, dressing, continence care, repositioning and pressure ulcer prevention. Dignity-preserving techniques, client communication during personal care, and adapting procedures to the home environment and client condition
• Wound care and basic clinical procedures: Wound assessment, wound cleaning and basic dressing application in a home setting — selecting appropriate dressings, infection monitoring, documenting wound changes, reporting deterioration, and maintaining aseptic technique in non-sterile home environments
• Mobility assistance and fall prevention: Safe manual handling techniques for assisting clients with limited mobility — correct body mechanics, use of assistive equipment in the home, transfer techniques from bed to chair and vice versa, fall prevention strategies, and managing a fall in the home if it occurs
• Planning individualised home based care programmes: Designing a practical, achievable home based care programme that addresses the specific identified needs of the client — setting care goals, scheduling activities, allocating tasks between the caregiver and family, and ensuring the programme reflects the client and family's own schedule, culture and daily routines
• Implementing care programmes with client and family: Carrying out the planned care programme in the client's home — practical implementation of all care activities, ongoing monitoring and adjustment of the programme as the client's condition changes, maintaining the therapeutic relationship with the client and family, and documenting all care activities and observations
• Instructing families in autonomous care: Teaching the client's family to implement elements of the care programme independently — demonstrating care procedures, confirming understanding through return demonstration, leaving written instructions where appropriate, and empowering the family to confidently manage the client's care between caregiver visits
• Making referrals — identification, process and follow-up: Identifying clients whose needs are beyond the caregiver's scope of practice — recognising clinical deterioration, mental health crises, social welfare needs, and emergency situations requiring immediate referral. Identifying relevant practitioners (doctor, nurse, physiotherapist, social worker, clinic, hospital), making referrals through correct channels, supplying the client with referral details, and following up to confirm the referral was received and acted upon
• Documentation, reporting and record keeping: Maintaining accurate and complete home based care records — daily observation notes, care plan updates, referral documentation, incident reports, and consent records. Professional report writing and communicating findings effectively to supervisors, nurses and other members of the health care team
• Practical competency assessment — SAQA 117488: Full practical assessment across all four specific outcomes of SAQA US 117488 — assessed through direct observation, practical demonstration, case studies, questioning, and portfolio of evidence, in line with the unit standard's assessment criteria. Candidates assessed as Competent or Not Yet Competent by a HWSETA-recognised assessor. Successful candidates receive their Certificate of Competence.