Healthcare

Continuing Care Assistant

Learn the skills to become a registered Continuing Care Assistant in Nova Scotia. You will be trained in how to provide long-term care assistance to the aging community. You may also be eligible for a 100% tuition Nova Scotia Government grant when you begin your program.*

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Type

Diploma

Duration

24 Weeks

Internship

204 Hours

Program Outline

View Outline

Program Outline NS

About The Program

Embark on a rewarding journey toward a meaningful career with our Continuing Care Assistant (CCA) Diploma program, offered at our Halifax campus and recognized by the Health Association of Nova Scotia (HANS) and guided by the Nova Scotia Department of Seniors and Long-Term Care (DSLTC). With a 99% employment rate, you’ll gain the perfect combination of in-depth theory and hands-on training to thrive in this vital and rapidly growing field in just 24 weeks. Develop specialized skills to provide exceptional care for individuals living with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or requiring palliative support—making a lasting impact as a compassionate and highly skilled caregiver.

*Right now you can take advantage of free tuition for the Continuing Care Assistant (CCA) program which is being funded by the Seniors and Long-Term Care division of the Nova Scotia Government. You must be a Canadian permanent resident or citizen to qualify.

Career Opportunities

As a Continuing Care Assistant graduate, you will qualify for positions such as Continuing Care Assistant, Care Team Assistant, Home Support Worker, Home Care Worker, and Personal Care Worker.

Employers Who Have Hired Eastern Grads

Shannex
Northwood Homecare Limited
Ocean View Continuing Care Centre
We Care
Revera Home Health
Bayshore Health Care

Salary

99 %

Employment Rate*

$ 18

Average Wage/hr**

$ 23

High Wage/hr**

*Employment Rate based on 2022 contactable Eastern graduates employed in a related field within 12 months.

Source: workingincanada.gc.ca

NOC Code: 4412, 3413 - **Wage data based on NOC Code 4412 and rounded down to the nearest dollar based on Nova Scotia data. Average wage doesn't reflect the starting salary but represents the middle value between lowest to highest wages. Local (or regional) income may vary. Last updated in Jan 2024.

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Program Details

Step into a career that transforms lives—starting with your own. As a Continuing Care Assistant (CCA), you’ll not only build a meaningful future for yourself but also provide care that empowers others to live with dignity, comfort, and joy. With an aging population driving unprecedented demand for compassionate caregivers, now is the time to join this vital profession and make an enduring impact.

Through immersive, hands-on training, you’ll develop the expertise to support elderly or recovering clients and their families with empathy and skill. Guided by expert instructors, you’ll gain real-world experience in diverse healthcare settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and in-home care—ensuring you’re fully prepared for the challenges and rewards of this essential field.

At Eastern College, our CCA program in Halifax, developed in collaboration with the Health Association of Nova Scotia CCA Program Advisory Committee, is your gateway to success. Meeting provincial standards and exceeding expectations, our curriculum equips you with the knowledge and confidence to thrive in a profession where purpose meets possibility.

Students enrolled in the program receive the following credentials;

CCA Diploma
LEAP – PSW
Alzheimer Disease and Other Dementia Care Course
Standard First Aid/CPR Level C training
Food Hygiene Course or Basic Food Safety Training (BFST)
WHMIS Awareness
Occupational Health and Safety Act introduction

Course Listings: Nova Scotia

Body Structures, Functions, & Related Health Issues

This is an introductory course of basic body structures, functions, and related health issues common within Continuing Care. The student will gain abasic understanding of the normal structure and function of the body systems and be introduced to signs and symptoms of ineffective functioning, common illnesses/conditions, and the related care implications. This course aims to connect body anatomy and physiology to the technical skills and tasks of a CCA to draw the connection between theory and practical application to the role of a CCA.

Dementia: Understanding The Journey

No two persons experience dementia in the same way, and there is no singular approach to supporting persons living with dementia. The course provides a range of information that should be used to support and enhance the student’s approach. Each of the sessions leads into the next, supporting the care practices collaboratively and collectively. The session addressing behaviours is situated toward the end of the course. In doing so, we want the student, as a care provider, to understand that if they approach care for persons with dementia in ways that are appropriate and meaningful for them, they can reduce the potential for, or eliminate, behaviours that are difficult to understand. Earlier sessions provide the information to set up relationships, approaches, and environments that best meet the needs of the person living with dementia. As the course progresses, tools and approaches are offered to assist the student in recognizing when to change their own perceptions and approach. The program finishes with a session dedicated to the student as the care provider and their role within a care team, as well as barriers they may encounter.

CCA Fundamentals

This course introduces learners to the CCA role, the Framework, and the healthcare sector. It sets expectations and provides a theoretical understanding of the workplaces of a CCA. Learners will also begin to develop awareness of self-care and learn the importance of self-care as a CCA. Instructors will provide a psychologically safe space for learners to explore and learn about self-care, EDIRA, and psychological safety.

Practicum Part 1: Clinical Placement

The learner will apply technical and essential skills identified in the Practicum Guide: Skills Checklist - Skills Development for supporting persons in care with the oversight and guidance of a CCA mentor within a Long-Term Care facility. The learner will demonstrate technical and essential skills identified in the Practicum Guide: Skills Checklist - Skills Assessment within a Long-Term Care facility under direct supervision by a Primary or Secondary Instructor.

Food Handling

This course will provide you with food safety information required for your role. Topics include cleaning and sanitizing, proper food handling and temperatures, pest control, food safety management, foodborne illness, receiving, storage and contamination of food.

Integrative Skills

This is a lab and simulated course that integrates theoretical learning across the program into practical experience. The objective of this course is to provide real-world simulated scenarios that incorporate as many of the CCA competencies and skills across a full process/task sequence. The instructor’s main objective is to connect the theoretical learning from Course 8 Body Structures and Functions into application to draw the connections from theory into practice. This is a test-try learning environment where the instructor is encouraged to pause, change a status/condition/illness/need, and resume during a scenario. Instructors can also pause and restart scenarios.

LEAP - PSW

LEAP™ Personal Support Worker is a course that provides personal support workers and care aides with the essential competencies to provide a palliative care approach.

Mealtime Assistance

The focus of this course is on basic nutrition and entry-level proficiency for preparing and cooking meals. The learner will understand the role of nutrition to health and wellbeing and the various types of therapeutic and special diets common in Continuing Care. Learners will demonstrate the preparing and cooking of basic meals, developing entry-level cooking skills.

Medication

This course allows the learner to cultivate an awareness of medications and the role of the CCA in supporting the needs of a person. The SoP and the Framework identifies the role of a CCA in medication administration and learners gain hands on experience applying medicated and non-medicated drops, ointments, and creams. Learners will gain a basic understanding of medications and the effects to support their tasks and responsibilities specified in the SoP.

Practicum Part 2: Mentorship Home Care

The learner will consistently demonstrate entry-level technical and essential skills identified in the Practicum Guide: Skills Checklist - Mentorship for supporting persons in Home Care with the oversight of a CCA mentor.

Practicum Part 3: Mentorship Open

The learner will consistently demonstrate entry-level technical and essential skills identified in the Practicum Guide: Skills Checklist for - Mentorship supporting persons in Home Care, long term care, or acute care setting with the oversight of a CCA mentor.

Occupational Health and Safety

This introductory course is intended to give you an overview of the eight key aspects of workplace health and safety in Nova Scotia workplaces, including: (i) the Internal Responsibility System; (ii) Worker and employer rights & responsibilities; (iii) Workplace health and safety policy and programs; (iv) Health & safety committees and representatives; (v) Hazard identification and control; (vi) Investigating incidents; and (vii) Safety training.

Practicum Essentials

In this course learners will gain the knowledge and skills needed to successfully participate in lab demonstrations and practicum placements. This course focuses on the fundamentals of a CCA deepening their understanding of the SoP and the Framework by exploring and practicing the behaviours and essential skills of a CCA. Additionally, learners will build the foundational knowledge of teamwork, reporting, and documenting, infection control, and risk management to develop the theoretical foundation to inform and shape their approach to care.

Personal Care

This course is an introduction to the principles relating to activities of daily living and personal care. The learner will learn, practice, and demonstrate the practical skills necessary for respectfully, safely, and effectively providing personal care by providing meaningful engagement and applying the philosophy of care.

Safe Handling & Mobility

The learner is introduced to the principles of body movement and safety to be followed during the performance of all direct and indirect assistance activities in the classroom, lab, and placement settings. The learner will acquire and demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to ensure personal safety and that of the person when assisting with positioning and transferring. The learning of this course aligns and integrates with PACE.

Social & Mental Wellbeing

This course prepares learners to recognize and support persons living with various mental health disorders. The course introduces types of mental health disorders, identifies impacts of mental health disorders, neuro-affirming care, and prevention and intervention strategies for behaviour expressions. This course extends the knowledge learners acquired from Course 3 – DUTJ by providing practical application for behaviour expressions.

WHMIS

The WHMIS course teaches you the basic elements of WHMIS 2015 and the Global Harmonization System. This covers the safety measures and guidelines to be followed when exposed to or working with hazardous materials.

Admission Requirements

Student has Grade 12 or equivalent, OR can pass a qualifying test.
The approved qualifying test for this program is the Wonderlic test. A passing score for this program is 12.
Student must provide a 2-Step TB test with Negative results or a Chest X-ray ruling out TB symptoms for entry into the program
Student must meet the CCA language proficiency requirement.
Student must provide a clear Criminal Record Check.
Student must provide a clear Vulnerable Sector Check.
Persons applying for admission to the program while resident outside Canada or who have not been resident in Canada for the prior six months may use the form of International Police Certificate identified by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in lieu of the requirement for persons applying from within Canada who have six months prior residence in the country, i.e. satisfactory results from searches through a Criminal Record Check (CRC) and Vulnerable Sector Search (VSS) through the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC).
Students may be required to provide additional Health Records depending on Placement Host requirements

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Success Stories

“The instructors are amazing, very helpful and always there for anything you need, anytime. The atmosphere of the school is energetic and fun. I enjoy coming to school every day.”

Donna

2019