Free course

Caring for adults

Free statement of participation on completion

Caring for adults is an introductory course for anyone in a caring role, either paid or unpaid. It builds on what you already know to give you a better understanding of your role as a carer. It also supports your own well-being by giving you some ideas and information about looking after yourself and dealing with stress.

Earn this free Open University digital badge if you complete this course! The badge can be displayed, shared and downloaded as a marker of your achievement. The badge is awarded for completing the course and passing the quizzes.

Course learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

describe the role and responsibilities of carers
recognise some of the basic concepts that will enable a person-centred approach to care
identify the different needs of a cared-for person, at different stages of their care
understand the impact that caring may have upon carers, and how this might be managed
explain some of the legal responsibilities within the caring role.

Enter course

First Published: 09/09/2019

Updated: 25/06/2020

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Course content

- Introduction and guidance
- Current section:
  Introduction and guidance
  Caring for adults is an introductory course for both paid and unpaid carers who are supporting people at home or in a residential, community or day care setting. Whether you are in a paid or a voluntary caring role, or caring for a family member, this course will help to extend your knowledge and skills to develop your awareness of a range of topics: interpersonal skills for care, mental health problems, dealing with emergencies and looking after yourself as a carer. The course also consider...
- Guidance for accessing alternative formats
- Structure of the course
- Why study this course?
- Learning outcomes
- Before you begin
- Acknowledgements
- Week1Good communication
- Current section:
  Introduction
  In this section about communicating well, you will look at the different ways in which we communicate, whether we are aware of it or not. Communication is something we all do, but if you are caring for someone, either paid or unpaid, the way you communicate can have a significant impact on your relationship with that person. You will be checking your interpersonal skills and your ability to listen fully and with empathy. (Empathy is the ability to identify with and understand somebody else&r...
- Learning outcomes
- 1 What is communication?
  - 1.1 Barriers to communication
  - 1.2 How do things go wrong?
- 2 Developing your interpersonal skills
  - 2.1 What are interpersonal skills?
- 3 Are you listening or waiting to speak?
  - 3.1 Listening is not the same as hearing
  - 3.2 Do we always need to be active listeners?
- 4 Ways to communicate better
  - 4.1 Dementia
  - 4.2 People with learning disabilities
- 5 Recording and reporting
  - 5.1 Appropriate communication in the appropriate place
  - 5.2 Language and perception
- Key points from Section 1
- Section 1 quiz
- References
- Acknowledgements
- Week2Mental health awareness
- Current section:
  Introduction
  Mental health care has been described as ‘a family affair’ because modern support services are increasingly focused on community settings, where most mental health care now takes place. According to the Office for National Statistics (2010), there are 1.5 million people in the UK caring for a relative or friend with a mental health problem or dementia. There is an increasing emphasis on the role of family caregivers in supporting recovery for people in mental distress. The course...
- Learning outcomes
- 1 Terminology and mental health
- 2 Types of mental health problems
- 3 Experiencing mental health problems
- 4 Mental health care and treatment
  - 4.1 Recovery
  - 4.2 Therapies
- 5 Carer experience
  - 5.1 Relationships and engagement
- Key points from Section 2
- Further information (optional)
- Section 2 quiz
- References
- Acknowledgements
- Section 2 quiz
- Week3Palliative and end-of-life care
- Current section:
  Introduction
  It is important to realise that everyone will die at some time – death is unavoidable. Being unavoidable, planning for death and discussing death with loved ones is a part of having a good death. It is not something that you as a carer should deny the cared-for person if they wish to talk about their wishes and fears. It is important that the cared-for person is given the opportunity to talk about their death but they should not be made to feel that they must. As either a paid carer or...
- Learning outcomes
- 1 Palliative care
- 2 Maximising quality of life
  - 2.1 Palliative care for children
- 3 End-of-life care
- 4 Common core principles
  - 4.1 Holistic common assessment
- 5 Approaching death
  - 5.1 Advanced care plans
  - 5.2 Signs that death is near
- Key points from Section 3
- Section 3 quiz
- References
- Acknowledgements
- Section 3 quiz
- Week4Positive risk-taking
- Current section:
  Introduction
  Risk is a necessary and important part of life for all of us but we need to think about and manage this risk. In this section you will be looking at risk in relation to cared-for people. The cared-for person has the right to take risks. When managing risk, however, there is the potential for carers to be cautious with an emphasis on overprotecting the cared-for person. In this section you will be exploring how carers can continue to empower the person they are supporting to have a more fulfi...
- Learning outcomes
- 1 Mental capacity
- 2 Promoting independence
  - 2.1 Care or support – what’s the difference?
  - 2.2 People or technology?
    - Types of assistive technology
    - How does assistive technology work?
- 3 Least restrictive practice
  - 3.1 Deprivation of liberty and restrictions
  - 3.2 The search for the least restrictive option
- 4 Emergency care plans
  - 4.1 Why is an emergency care plan necessary?
  - 4.2 Drawing up an emergency care plan
- Key points from Section 4
- Further information (optional)
- Section 4 quiz
- References
- Acknowledgements
- Section 4 quiz
- Week5Looking after yourself
- Current section:
  Introduction
  In this section you will be looking at the importance of your well-being and that of the people you care for. People who are in a caring role, either as family carers or who work in health and social care, often find that they are so busy looking after others that they forget to look after themselves. This section offers some suggestions of how to look after yourself.You will think about different forms of stress and the impact they have on your life and try to find ways of dealing with nega...
- Learning outcomes
- 1 Why your well-being is important
- 2 Coping with stress
- 3 Work–life balance and professional boundaries
  - 3.1 What is a work–life balance?
  - 3.2 Unpaid carers
- 4 Person-centred care and self-management
  - 4.1 Providing the right kind of support
  - 4.2 A different approach to support
- 5 Where to find support
- Key points from Section 5
- Further information (optional)
- Section 5 quiz
- References
- Acknowledgements
- Section 5 quiz
- Week6Taking my learning further
- Current section:
  Taking my learning further
  By studying this course you should now be able to:describe the role and responsibilities of carersrecognise some of the basic concepts that will enable a person-centred approach to careidentify the different needs of a cared-for person at different stages of their careunderstand the impact that caring may have upon carers, and how responses might be managedexplain some of the legal responsibilities within the caring role.
- Health and Social Care degree qualifications
- Acknowledgements

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Caring for adults

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