Personal Care Skills for the Hospice Patient

This course prepares hospice aides to provide safe, comfort-focused personal care for patients at the end of life. Aides will learn how to follow the aide care plan, apply infection control basics during personal care tasks, and deliver comfort-focused bathing, oral care, toileting, and skin care. The course also covers how to observe and report important changes to the nurse or supervisor, and how to handle common challenges like patient refusals, modesty concerns, and family questions—all while staying within the aide's scope of practice.

Course Objectives

1. 1. Describe the hospice aide's role and limits, including why care must follow the plan of care and when to involve the nurse/supervisor.
2. 2. Use basic infection control techniques, and provide a clean/safe environment during personal care in the home.
3. 3. Provide comfort-focused personal care while protecting privacy, dignity, and safety.
4. 4. Observe, document, and report important changes using objective notes and the care plan.
5. 5. Respond to refusals, modesty concerns, and family questions with respectful boundary language and escalate concerns to the nurse.

This course was written in alignment with the CMS Conditions of Participation for Hospice: 42 CFR §418.76 (Hospice Aide and Homemaker Services) training expectations relevant to aide services (including tasks tied to personal care/hygiene within the care plan):

• https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-C/part-418/subpart-D/section-418.76

Estimated Runtime: 30 minutes



Reviewed and approved by
Jennifer Kennedy, EdD, MA, BSN, RN, CHC


NOTE: This course is not a substitute for legal advice for any individual provider or situation. Always consult your company's legal or compliance personnel with any questions or concerns related to this subject matter.