The Big Picture
Support workers work in many types of health care and community settings. Each setting has its own purpose, services, and expectations.
One rule applies across these workplaces. Each employer should have a clear job description for support workers, and the tasks a support worker performs should fit that job description.
Some settings focus on short-term illness or recovery. Others provide ongoing support, temporary relief for caregivers, rehabilitation, mental health services, or care near the end of life.
Look for Nova Scotia CCA Notes throughout this page for current provincial guidance.
Quick tip: Tap, click, or press Enter on any term with a dotted underline and an ⓘ icon to see its plain-English definition.
Start Here If You’re Overwhelmed
Focus on these core ideas:
- acute care provides short-term care for an immediate health problem, usually for days to weeks.
- long-term care provides services over months or years for people who cannot care for themselves.
- respite care gives temporary care to a person who needs significant support while giving caregivers a break.
- rehabilitation services focus on restoring or improving independence and functional abilities.
- Palliative care, end-of-life care, and hospice are related. Hospice is a type of palliative care, and end-of-life care may include both.
- A support worker’s tasks should fit the employer’s formal job description.
Jump to:
Course Notes: Key Ideas You Need to Know
Your Job Description Sets Workplace Expectations
Support workers do different work in different settings. Employers should have a specific, formal job description for support workers.
Any task a support worker performs should fall within that job description.
Job expectations can also differ between employers. One employer might focus mainly on personal care. Another might include home management along with personal care.
Nova Scotia CCA Note
Sorrentino’s Canadian Textbook for the Support Worker, 5th Edition says support-worker tasks should fit the employer’s formal job description. In Nova Scotia, current CCA standards make this more specific. Each employer defines the CCA’s scope of employment, which identifies what the CCA is permitted to do in that workplace.
The employer must align that scope with provincial requirements, the CCA Occupational Standards of Practice, and the scopes of practice of regulated health professionals. Nova Scotia CCAs must also follow the employer’s policies and procedures for how care is provided in that workplace. (novascotiacca.ca)
Why this matters in Nova Scotia: Duties can differ between employers, but a CCA’s work still has to stay within the employer’s scope of employment and the provincial practice boundaries that apply to the setting.
Official source: Continuing Care Assistant Occupational Standards of Practice
Last checked: August 29, 2026
Acute Care
Acute care provides health care for a relatively short period, usually days to weeks. Its purpose is to diagnose and treat an immediate health problem.
Hospitals provide most acute care.
An acute illness:
- appears suddenly
- lasts for a short time
- usually lasts less than 3 months
- can cause severe symptoms
Pneumonia and influenza are examples of acute illnesses.
Subacute Care
Subacute care provides care or rehabilitation for people recovering from surgery or injury, or being stabilized after a serious illness or health challenge.
It is also known as:
- complex continuing care
- convalescent care
- transitional care
Name to watch: In some provinces, complex continuing care is also used as another name for long-term care.
A person receiving subacute care is stable but still needs a level of care involving complex equipment or procedures.
Many hospitals provide subacute care. Some hospitals have specific areas for it.
For example, a person recovering from a hip replacement might still need frequent physiotherapy and dressing changes before going home. The person eventually moves home or to another level of care.
Long-Term Care
Long-term care provides health and support services over months or years for people who cannot care for themselves.
Many people receiving long-term care live with a chronic illness, also called a persistent illness.
A chronic illness:
- continues over time
- often starts slowly or gradually
- might or might not become worse over time
- cannot be cured
Diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s disease are examples of chronic illnesses.
Care focuses on preventing complications. Some chronic illnesses can be managed, and some complications can be prevented.
In some situations, a person receives long-term care for the rest of their life.
The goal of long-term care is to help the resident cope with a long-term illness or disability while maintaining a good quality of life.
Long-term care takes place in settings such as:
- long-term care facilities
- some hospitals
- the person’s home through home care services
Respite Care
Respite care provides temporary care for someone who needs a high level of support, care, and supervision.
Its purpose includes giving caregivers a break from their caregiving duties.
Support workers often provide respite care in the client’s home. Hospitals and other facilities also offer respite care.
Rehabilitation Services and Restorative Care
Rehabilitation services use therapies, methods, and educational programs to restore or improve a client’s independence and functional abilities .
Restorative care focuses on helping a client regain as much independence as possible.
These services support people who are ill, injured, disabled, or recovering from illness or injury.
Rehabilitation services are offered in:
- hospitals
- live-in facilities
- clinics
Services may include:
- life skills training
- occupational therapy and rehabilitation services
- behavioural management
- speech therapy
- physiotherapy
- job coaching
- family counselling
Support workers may help clients with personal care or activities of daily living, also called ADLs. They may also assist with program delivery.
Indigenous or First Nations Services
Indigenous or First Nations services support and empower Indigenous peoples to improve access to services, deliver services, and address socioeconomic conditions in their communities.
These services are used across Canada, especially in rural and northern communities.
A First Nation may employ support workers to provide care to Indigenous clients.
Support-worker job descriptions can differ between employers. Some employers expect mainly personal care. Others include home management along with personal care.
Palliative Care
Palliative care supports clients and families when the client lives with an illness that cannot be cured.
The goal is to improve quality of life by managing pain and other distressing symptoms.
This approach focuses on:
- the client’s goals
- relief of pain and suffering
- quality of life
End-of-Life Care
End-of-life care provides physical, emotional, social, and spiritual care to people who have stopped treatment intended to cure or control their disease.
It also provides support to their families.
End-of-life care may include:
- palliative care
- supportive care
- hospice care
These forms of care may work together as the person approaches the end of life.
End-of-life care uses an interdisciplinary approach .
Hospice
Hospice is part of palliative care.
It provides home, live-in, or inpatient care for a client who:
- has a terminal diagnosis
- is no longer seeking life-prolonging care
Hospice supports the whole person. Care addresses emotional, social, spiritual, and medical needs.
The goal is to make the client’s last days as painless, comfortable, and dignified as possible.
Support workers may:
- assist with personal care
- assist with ADLs
- provide emotional support and encouragement to the client and family
Mental Health Care Services
Mental health care services, also called psychiatric care services, support people with mental health disorders.
Examples in this setting include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and addictions.
Mental health care takes place in:
- dedicated facilities
- health care centres
- hospital units
These services include both inpatient and outpatient care.
Clients are usually encouraged to return to the community rather than remain in hospital.
Assessment and treatment programs help clients function as independently as possible in the community. Community-based care and support services remain available to them.
Fast Review
Use these points when you need a quick final review:
- Support-worker tasks should fit the employer’s formal job description.
- Acute care treats immediate health problems for a relatively short time, usually days to weeks.
- An acute illness appears suddenly and usually lasts less than 3 months.
- Subacute care supports stable clients who still need care involving complex equipment or procedures.
- Long-term care lasts months or years and supports people who cannot care for themselves.
- A chronic illness develops slowly or gradually, continues over time, and cannot be cured.
- Respite care provides temporary care and gives caregivers a break.
- Rehabilitation services and restorative care focus on improving independence and functional abilities.
- Palliative care focuses on quality of life and relief of pain and suffering when an illness cannot be cured.
- End-of-life care provides physical, emotional, social, and spiritual support after treatment to cure or control the disease has stopped.
- Hospice is part of palliative care for a client with a terminal diagnosis who is no longer seeking life-prolonging care.
- Mental health care services support people in facilities, health care centres, hospital units, and the community, with a focus on helping clients function as independently as possible.
Final Pep Talk
There are a lot of care settings here, so focus on what makes each one different. Pay special attention to length of care, the goal of the service, and who needs it. Once you separate those three points, the names become much easier to keep straight.