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An evaluation of a long term care aide/ESL program Wilson, Silvia M.

Abstract

This two-part study evaluates a government sponsored Long Term Care Aide/ESL Program taken by a group of immigrant women. The purpose of the first part of the study was to assess how effective a B.C. government sponsored Long Term Care Aide/ESL program was in preparing a group of immigrant women for the workplace. A questionnaire was used to determine demographics and employment status. Also, it obtained perceptions on the strengths and weaknesses of the program. The purpose of the second part of this study was to hear the women's personal insights and voices about their experiences while taking the program and after the program. Semi-structured interviews were used to obtain these stories. Results from the quantitative questionnaire indicated that 94% of the immigrant women who had taken this course were employed as care aides. Three years after the completion this program, the women felt that the course had provided them with both a vocational skill and more English language skills. Results from the qualitative portion of this paper focused on how the women felt about their experiences in this Long Term Care Aide/ESL program in their own words. The data were analyzed and put into themes. Theme 1 was "The pain of renewal". It presented their collective stories of being an immigrant and struggling to begin again. Theme 2 was "The costs and the benefits". This theme presented the women's insights on working as care aides. Most of the women liked their jobs but found trying to secure a full time job difficult. Theme 3 was "The need to learn the language of care". All the women interviewed wanted to have more "caring" language, the "everyday" language to relate to their clients. Theme 4 was "Advice to other immigrant women". This theme revealed how some women felt about the work they did. The last theme, Theme 5, was "Hopes and dreams". Half of the women interviewed had aspirations to continue their education and these women were already enrolled in other health care courses. The results of the study are discussed and implications are drawn for research and pedagogy.

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