Project ECHO
Personal Care Providers
All Teach, All Learn
Building Skills, Knowledge, and Confidence
Project ECHO
Personal care providers are essential healthcare team members who deliver personal care and support to individuals receiving home care. This Project ECHO stream reinforces national standards and best practices outlined in the National Occupational Standard for Personal Care Providers. It offers opportunities to learn new skills, gain knowledge from experts, and connect with peers in home care. This stream is designed to make learning easy, practical, and effective, enhancing professional growth and improving the quality of home care provided.
2025 Theme: Skin Care and Maintenance
Personal care providers play an essential role in preventing, detecting, and supporting the healing of wounds. By checking the skin regularly, noticing early signs of damage, and reporting concerns to a supervisor or healthcare professional, they help reduce serious problems and keep people safe. This learning series offers valuable knowledge, hands-on skills, and easy-to-follow strategies to understand skin health, recognize early signs of damage, and support healing. These skills help personal care providers deliver better care and prevent skin problems before they worsen.
Past TeleECHO Learning Sessions
Recognizing Skin Damage and When to Act
May 28, 2025
Kimberly LeBlanc emphasized the critical role of personal care providers in preventing and identifying skin damage, focusing on pressure injuries, skin tears, and moisture-associated skin damage. She shared practical strategies for skin assessment, repositioning, moisturizing, and reporting. Amanda Connolly followed with a real-world case study, demonstrating how consistent repositioning, barrier use, and family education supported healing in a high-risk client with ALS and compromised skin integrity
Foundations of Skin and Skin Care
May 7, 2025
Maryanne D’Arpino emphasized the critical role that personal care providers play as the first line of defense in skin care. Dr. Gary Sibbald explained how the skin works, how to recognize lesions, and how to prevent problems such as wounds or tears. He shared practical tips that personal care providers can use when caring for people in their homes.
Preventing Wounds, Promoting Comfort
June 17, 2025
Danielle Heisler provided an overview of how pressure injuries develop, including early warning signs and risk areas like heels and sacrum. Justine Lowry shared practical strategies to prevent and manage skin tears through gentle handling and protective clothing. Whitney Kendrick emphasized offloading techniques using posture, cushions, and repositioning to relieve pressure and prevent injury.
Continue your learning
The Project ECHO Home and Community Care Learning Hub offers a variety of resources for healthcare providers delivering home- and community-based care. Through the hub, you can access:
- On-demand TeleECHO session recordings that feature expert presentations and case-based discussions.
- Presentation slides from subject matter experts.
- Evidence-based resources, including articles and reports supporting clinical practices.
- 10-minute micro-learning courses on key learning content for a selection of TeleECHO topics.
The Palliative Care ECHO Project is supported by a financial contribution from Health Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada.
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