The Institutional and Home Care Assistance (IHCA) program prepares students to support people with a diversity of health care needs in their homes, in the community, or in institutional settings. Learn to care for people with handicaps, the frail and vulnerable elderly, and home-bound individuals.  

Our program has 3 stages embedded in the program. The first stage is during Competency 5: Activities of Daily Living (75hr comp) in which of 45hrs are in a stage setting. We have placed our students in small groups in various settings. This is where the student can interact minimally in non-traditional settings. It should be noted that this is an observational stage. Some of our settings are Social Integration Service in Huntingdon and here at Nova, Private semi-autonomous setting and we have secured 2 placements at the Peter Hall School in Montreal. This allows the student to experiment and see what fits best for them. The students are followed up daily by Lisa and me either visit, phone calls, emails. Assignments are also attached.

 Second stage takes place in Competency 9: Care in the Home or Alternative Living Environments (105hrs). The criteria in this setting is more strict. The student must work in a long-term care setting in a group no larger than 5 with a stage teacher on site to supervise. Th will learn the different clientele and needs in a long-term facility, along with the equipment necessary to help with activities of daily living. They will also be assessed for the PDSP certification during this period. We will alternate the groups so that that they will experience a week with the CLSC and fulfill the Homecare component. Assignments are also attached.

Third Stage takes place in the final Competency 15: Short-Term Assistive care (75hrs) This stage takes place in an acute care setting (active hospital setting). Again, the groups are no larger than 5 with a stage teacher supervising the group. Here they learn how to help patients who may only be in a hospital for a short time. It is important that they learn the fast pace, equipment involved and the reporting of information. Assignments are also attached.

 It should be noted that after each stage there is a period of discussion and debriefing to share each experience.