Caregivers often email us to ask about caregiver training programs. Most senior home care agencies offer training programs to all of their newly hired caregivers through orientation and continuing education seminars. Special training programs for caring for seniors with memory loss and providing hospice care are usually offered.
Family members are often pleasantly surprised to find a caregiver is successful in interacting with their parent when family members have not been. Often this is simply because the caregiver has been properly trained in providing senior care. Non-medical senior caregivers may now receive online caregiver training through a 10-hour course created by aQuire training solutions which will meet the requirements that have been created by the departements of health in some states.
Many hospitals and community programs offer training and support groups for senior caregivers. The department of health in each state regulates caregiver certification programs which are required by the laws in that state. All states administer certification for Certified Nursing Aides. Some states also provide certifications for training as a Certified Home Health Aide and Certified Personal Care Assistant. Many of these certification programs are offered through community colleges and hospitals. Sometimes an employer will cover the cost of the program or offer reimbursement after the caregiver certification training has been successfully completed.
Each state maintains a registry of those caregivers who have active certifications and requires continuing education or ongoing employment in order for the certification to remain active. Renewals of certifications usually are required every 2 years. All certification programs require caregivers to successfully complete criminal background checks and drug tests in order to be admitted. Senior home care agencies, nursing homes and hospitals often require caregivers to be certified as this provides an additional guarantee that the caregiver has completed a background check, drug test, written exam, skills exam and has maintained all qualifications to remain active in the state registry (which includes not having formal complaints or disciplinary actions taken against them while employed as an aide).
Senior caregivers can also contact their local department on aging to find out about senior care training programs they may offer.
Certified Nursing Aides are the hands-on caregivers in nursing homes and for senior home care agencies – they are often referred to as a nurse by seniors as they provide the care many people assume nurses provide. Registered nurses do learn all of the certified nursing aide skills as part of their registered nurse education and are qualified to perform the care and many times do when hospitals and nursing homes are short-staffed.
Personal Care Assistants usually have at least 40 hours of training.
The CHHHA program is designed to provide a learning experience where students will be able to successfully obtain the entry-level skills necessary to obtain employment in the healthcare industry.
Some typical duties of a homemaker-home health aide include helping the patient take a bath, use the toilet or bedpan, and dress the patient. They also may prepare patient meals, do light laundering, straighten the patient’s room, run errands, and assist with exercise regimens.
The 76 hour curriculum mandated by the New Jersey Board of Nursing includes all components necessary (speech, occupational, physical therapy, CPR, dietary skills, etc.) to train participants to provide home care to the ill and elderly. . Students enrolled in this course will spend their time in classroom work, hands-on clinical practice, multimedia, lab skills practice and individualized student centered instruction.
The course is designed so that students will meet all requirements necessary to take the New Jersey Board of Nursing approved examination and become Certified Homemaker-Home Health Aide (CHHHA) upon the successful completion of this course
Certified Personal Care Assistant (CPCA): Trained to assist the elderly and disabled with meals, toileting and items needed for daily living. Usually around 40 hours of training, often this level of care is referred to as companion care.
Certified Home Health Aide (CHHA): Entry-level training to begin working in the healthcare field and prepares individuals for training as a Certified Nursing Aide. Training includes: assisting patients with bathing, toileting, dressing, nutrition education and meal preparation and exercise regimens. Usually around 75 hours of training.
Certified Nursing Aide (C.N.A.): Training to assist a registered nurse in a nursing home or hospital to administer the hands-on care, including both the emotional and physical aspects of care. Training includes proper transfers, bathing, dressing, vital signs, catheter care, feeding tube care, hospice care and how to maintain cleanliness for all care procedures. Usually 150 hours of training both in a classroom and clinical setting.
Caregiverlist provides tutorials for certified nursing aide training and home health aide training and lab skills, along with senior care briefs for specific care items.
You may also join the Professional Association of Caregivers to receive 10-hours of online training for free with a certificate of completion when you pass at the 80% pass rate.
