Caring for people with long-term conditions

Overview

Currently HCAs are not professionally regulated or registered, so it is important that you have clear guidance about your role and the registered nurse/professional understands the principle of safe delegation Nursing and Midwifery Council Health (2018). The Royal College of Nursing states that care teams include a range of registered professionals, health care assistants (HCAs), assistant practitioners (APs) and Trainee Nursing Associates and pre- registration nursing students. It is vital that each member of the team is clear about their level of accountability and that the registered staff are confident when delegating tasks to their colleagues.

This module will provide an overview of the pathophysiology and impact of the most common long-term conditions identified either through the Quality and Outcomes Framework or other government initiatives. It will enable you as a health care support worker to demonstrate underpinning knowledge and skills to support patients and registered 5 professional staff in your own work settings. It will enhance your clinical skills in monitoring long term conditions and there will be a strong emphasis on disease prevention and the promotion of self-care within these patient groups. The module will start with a general introduction to long term conditions and your role as a health care support worker in supporting patients and colleagues in your own work setting. You will then take a more detailed look at the following long-term conditions at a fundamental level:

• Diabetes mellitus 
• cardiovascular disease including coronary heart disease -
• Hypertension
• Heart Failure
• Atrial Fibrillation
• Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIA) 
• Respiratory diseases - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Asthma (including obesity)