How To Train For Direct Care

Transcription

1 Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council: Direct Client Care Training Packages September 2014 The Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA) is the national association of the dietetic profession with over 5500 members, and branches in each state and territory. DAA is a leader in nutrition and advocates for better food, better health, and wellbeing for all. DAA appreciates the opportunity to provide feedback on the Direct Client Care Training Packages by the Community Services and Health Industry Skills Council. Position: Professional Services Dietitian Organisation: Dietitians Association of Australia Address: 1/8 Phipps Close, Deakin ACT 2600 Telephone: Facsimile: psd@daa.asn.au 1

2 DAA interest in this consultation DAA has an interest in fostering food and nutrition knowledge and skills across the community. It is important that workforce development considers knowledge and skills in nutrition to support good health and wellbeing, and the needs of vulnerable groups in the community. DAA is particularly interested in how the Direct Client Care Modules address aspects of nutrition to equip the workforce to deliver care and services safely and within scope of practice. DAA is the peak body for dietetics and nutrition professionals in Australia. Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) have an important role in Direct Care Modules for the following reasons: APDs provide nutrition education and may be involved in content planning and delivery APDs may work alongside graduates of these modules and courses APDs provide medical nutrition therapy in both acute care and community settings and are a referral point for other health workers. Recommendation Discussion Nutrition units should at least be included as electives for all health related training courses, and ideally would be core units. DAA has reviewed the following training packages as part of this consultation: Ageing, Home and Community Support Alcohol and Other Drugs Disability Health Services Assistance Leisure and Health Mental Health Mental Health Peer Work DAA has not included comment on the Allied Health Assistance training package. Please refer to feedback from the Nutrition and Dietetic Subject Matter Expert Group for this training package. Many of the units provided appear very general which no doubt reflects the wide spectrum of issues for each population group. However it is hard to see how students will gain a consistent set of skills and knowledge from these units. Important issues e.g. related to food and nutrition may be missed. We suggest including a more comprehensive approach to 2

3 content planning similar to the units on Aged Care and Drugs and Alcohol. Students should also be made aware of the importance of referring on to other health professionals where needed e.g. to an APD where major changes to food intake are observed. Ageing, Home and Community Support CHCAGE004 Implement interventions with older people at risk, CHCAGE005 Provide support to people living with dementia, CHCAGE007 Respond to the needs of older people Include dysphagia in list of major risk areas for ageing population CHCAGE006 Provide food services Recommend including the need for thickened fluids as a knowledge evidence point i.e. Chewing and swallowing problems and the importance of texture modified food and fluids. o Students who complete this unit should also be familiar with the Australian Standards for Texture Modified Foods and Fluids - Poster.pdf Include a knowledge evidence point oral health. The Australian Dietary Guidelines are written for healthy, free-living Australians and are may not be appropriate for frail elderly people. It is important that this is included in curriculum, but the limits of use of the Guidelines should be made clear. There should be an additional knowledge evidence point to cover circumstances where the Australian Dietary Guidelines will not be as relevant for the elderly e.g. where increased energy requirements and decreased appetite are present. Students completing this unit should be able to demonstrate competence in following instructions for recipe modification for higher energy requirements. Alcohol and Other Drugs CHCAOD004 Assess needs of clients with alcohol and/or other drug issues Include point about food insecurity under 2.4 Identify issues related to client health in collaboration with relevant health professional Under Common co-existing conditions and associated issues..., qualify physical i.e. physical, including chronic disease as people in this group experience higher mortality and morbidity related to chronic disease 3

4 Nutrition screening should be included in the Conduct assessment section. It should be made clear that referral to an Accredited Practising Dietitian is required if malnutrition risk is present. CHCAOD006 Provide interventions for people with alcohol and other drug issues, CHCAOD008 Provide advanced interventions to meet the needs of clients with alcohol and other drug issues, CHCAOD009 Develop and review individual treatment plans. These units do not adequately address physical health issues. Chronic disease is important in this group, and many have food and nutrition issues related to chronic disease or food insecurity. People working in this area need to be able to screen for malnutrition, food insecurity, and nutrition in context of chronic disease. They also need to have basic nutrition knowledge (at the level of Australian Dietary Guidelines) and know how to refer to relevant health professionals e.g. Accredited Practising Dietitian. Disability CHCDIS003 Support community participation and social inclusion Encouragement of clients to participate in social aspects of meal times could be included in this module. CHCDIS005 Coordinate services for people with disability Nutrition should be included as a knowledge point for this module. CHCDIS008 Facilitate community participation and social inclusion Food and nutrition should be included as a key social activity in this module. CHCDIS010 Provide services to people with disability with complex needs Include nutrition as it applies to a range of disability types. CHC43115 Certificate IV in Disability DAA recommends that the nutrition electives included in the Certificate III in Individual Support are also included in the Certificate IV in Disability as these are highly relevant for both courses. 4

5 Health Services Assistance HLTAIN001 Assist with nursing care in an acute care environment Correctly filling in food record charts should be included as a Performance Criteria for this unit. HLTAIN002 Provide non-client contact support in an acute care environment Suggest including performance criteria for accurate recording of oral nutrition supplements and enteral nutrition products and equipment. Leisure and Health The National Health and Medical Research Council Australian Dietary Guidelines should be included as a knowledge evidence point for leisure and health units (URL CHC43415 Certificate IV in Leisure and Health and CHC53415 Diploma of Leisure and Health Nutrition units should be offered as electives for both courses. Mental Health CHCMHS001 Work with people with mental health issues Add chronic disease as a key issue facing people with mental illness CHCMHS005 Provide services to people with co-existing mental health and AOD issues Add chronic disease, nutrition, oral health, and food security under co-existing issue in Knowledge Evidence CHCMHS011 Assess and promote social, emotional and physical wellbeing Suggest changing diet to nutrition as a requirement for physical well-being. CHCMHS014 Provide early intervention, health prevention and promotion programs Add the National Health and Medical Research Council Australian Dietary Guidelines in the knowledge evidence list. This is Australia s key preventive resource 5

6 for nutrition and health (URL CHC43315 Certificate IV in Mental Health and CHC53315 Diploma of Mental Health_D3 Nutrition units should be included in both courses as electives. Nutrition is important for all population groups, including those at risk of, or experiencing, mental health issues. Mental Health Peer Work CHC43515 Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work As for the Mental Health courses, nutrition should be offered as electives for this course. 6