Bachelor of Social Services and Health Care (Geronomi AMK) Competences

April 3, 2012

Bachelor of Social Services and Health Care (Geronomi AMK) Competences

Team: TuulaMikkola, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences; Elisabeth Kajander,ArcadaUniversity of Applied Sciences; MerjaLaitoniemi,Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences; Sirkka-LiisaPalomäki, Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences;TuulaAhokumpu, Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences; Anne Kivenmaa,Satakunta University of Applied Sciences

The Degree Programme leading to the Bachelor of Social Services Degree

The extent of the Degree Programme is 210 credits and it takes 3.5 years to complete. The Programme is based on national and international competence descriptions, national strategies, quality guidelines,needs of elderly care practice and services andmulti-disciplinary gerontological research knowledge. The learning outcomes (knowledge, skills, competence) are equivalent to level 6 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).

Bachelors of Social Services and Health Care are experts of holistic elderly care, qualified to develop future elderly care and services and to ensure meaningful life, social engagement and agencyfor their clients in old age.The competence area of the graduates encompasses the following:

• Gerontological competence and ethical principles
• Resource-oriented and rehabilitative approach to work
• Multi-disciplinary competence and work in various settings in elderly care and services
• Needs assessment and evaluation of services, coordination and counselling in multi-professional care, nursing and rehabilitation settings
• Provision, management and development of services for the elderly

The Universities of Applied Sciences,which offer this Degree Programme, share the same idea of the core competence based on the jointly defined competences, but there is some variation in the focus of studies by specialization.

The competences for the Degree Programme (Geronomi AMK), first defined in collaboration between Universities of Applied Sciences in 2006, were updated in 2012.

1. Gerontological competence

Graduates

• apply multi-disciplinary gerontological knowledge and skills to elderly care and services and understand ageing from the perspectives of individuals and their life courses and from the perspectives of community and society
• have adopted a resource-oriented approach to old age as a foundation for their work with the elderly
• observe and promote the implementation of ethical principles defined for elderly care
• promote self-determination, justice and individualityto provide dignified old age
• are capable of acceptance, empathy, dialogue and reflective interaction with all kinds of people
• know how to approach ageing people from different cultural backgrounds
• work in a holistic and multi-disciplinary manner, paying attention to aged clients’ individual backgrounds in a variety of settings

1. Multi-disciplinary assessment and evaluation competence

Graduates

• in multi-professional collaboration, assess, plan and implement service packages based on elderly clients’ needs
• are able to assess and anticipate aged people’s holistic wellbeing, ability to function and need for services in relation to clients’ resources, individual lives and coping in their respective environments
• assess, implement and coordinate multi-disciplinary, individual services for elderly people
• use tools and methods for assessing functional capacity and apply knowledge of activities that promote the well-being of elderly people
• are aware of social and health risks, including their background factors, that jeopardize elderly people’s well-being and ability to function

• together with other professionals, know how to assess elderly people’s needs for assistive equipment and support them in the use of the equipment

1. Counselling competence

Graduates

• in their counselling work, observe principles offoresight and preventive work with the elderly, promoting clients’ health and well-being
• take action to prevent elderly people’s social exclusion and related risks
• disseminate information on factors related to elderly people’s health and well-being
• are familiar with the case management approach and use methods of case management and networking when counselling individual clients and groups
• by their counselling, promote social engagement and empowerment of elderly people while respecting their self-determination
• in their work, apply community group counselling and goal-oriented group counselling methods
• know how to counsel and advise elderly people, their next of kin, families and significant others on meeting their individual needs and coping in daily life
• are familiar with special features in counselling elderly people and able to carry out the counselling process so that they take into account people’s individual needs

1. Gerontological care, nursing and rehabilitation competence

Graduates

• promote elderly people’s social engagement and agency in care, nursing and rehabilitation services
• know how to use a resource-oriented and rehabilitative approach to work and how to apply important elderly care methods in their work with individuals and groups
• use information and welfare technology to provide a safe and functional environment
• know how to use socio-cultural and action methods and how to strengthen the sense of community as part of care, nursing and rehabilitation
• are able to implement and evaluate safe pharmacological care for aged people
• recognize common diseases and their effect on aged people’s ability to function and know how to counsel them in the treatment of diseases and in rehabilitation
• are familiar with methods of caring for, supporting and rehabilitating people with dementia and able to develop services for people with memory disorders
• know how to support home-living elderly people and care-giving families and are able to develop services to support these families

1. Service provision competence

Graduates

• are familiar with important national and international strategies and objectives designed for elderly policies and use them to develop services and their quality
• participate in public discussion on the life and position of aged people in society and service provision systems; use their expertise to influence these
• are familiar with service settings and service provision (public, private and third sector) and able to apply their knowledge to the organization, provision and development of services

• are familiar with social, health and rehabilitation services for aged people and with the relevant legislation, guidelines and programmes, so that they can apply their knowledge to both service development and client work
• extensively use culture and sports services to support functional capacity and well-being of aged people
• know how to co-ordinate multi-professional collaboration and the development, planning and implementation of services to meet the needs of aged people

1. Management, development and quality assurance competence

Graduates

• are able to develop and manage work with the elderly in an ethical, client-centred manner
• know how to apply important strategies and theories on work community development and management to develop, co-ordinate and manage work with the elderly
• are able to evaluate the quality of services provided for the elderly and to use important tools of quality work
• demonstrate flexibility and an ability to conduct dialogue in the work community; possess negotiation, reporting and counselling skills
• have an entrepreneurial approach to work
• are able to work in managerial positions and have basic skills in financial management and marketing
• know how to support staff welfare at work
• are able to apply research, development and innovation methods to develop services and work communities
• know how to work in projects

• apply gerontological research and knowledge to development and management
• are able to produce knowledge that serves the foresight work and development of services for the elderly