Senior News January, 2002 Vol. 21. No.  1

 

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

A time of giving-community groups nurture themselves and others: Pacific Union School

Health care: Senator Chesbro holds public forum

Major education summit set for the North Coast

Our community at work

Caregiver Registry: New two-tiered model will make it easier to meet community demand

Del Norte County: Northcoast Writers Group forms after conference

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Caregiver Registry
New two-tiered model will make it easier to meet community demand
by Bella Holmes

The Caregiver Registry, a central component of the Caregiver Support Project, has been working since it commenced operation in June 2001 to match care providers with elders and adults with disabilities who require in-home assistance.

Those wishing to list themselves as caregivers on the Registry are required to complete a background screening process prior to being eligible for any employment referrals.
Registry caregivers have also been required to complete a 33-hour training course either prior to or within the first three months of being listed on the Caregiver Registry.

In January the Caregiver Registry will change to a new two-tiered model that differentiates between Homemakers and Personal Attendants based on the caregivers' level of training. In line with this shift, the mandatory training requirement will be reduced from 33 to nine hours.

Basic Training

All caregivers will be required to complete both the screening process and nine hours of Basic Training before they are eligible for any employment referrals. The Basic Training will address the role of a caregiver; consumer rights; community resources; some information about observation and reporting, infection control, maintaining a safe environment, and assistance with medications; and an orientation to the Caregiver Support Project and Registry.

Caregivers who successfully complete the screening and Basic Training will be considered Homemakers and will be referred to elders and adults with disabilities who require help with non-personal care tasks such as housekeeping, shopping, meal preparation, running errands and transportation.

Personal Care Training

Caregivers can complete an additional 24 hours of Personal Care Training which will expand on the material covered in the Basic Training; provide information about mental and physical conditions and nutrition; and build essential personal care skills such as safe lifting and transfers and techniques for helping a person undertake tasks such as eating, bathing and dressing.

Caregivers who successfully complete the Personal Care Training will be considered Personal Attendants and will be eligible for all registry referrals, including those involving personal care tasks.

This new two-tiered model ensures that all caregivers referred out by the Registry have received some training, while rewarding caregivers who pursue further training with greater job opportunities. Reducing the mandatory training requirement to nine hours instead of 33 will also make it easier for the Registry to build capacity and respond to community needs more quickly and effectively.

Training will still be open to any community member who is interested in learning caregiving skills and techniques, irrespective of whether they want to be listed on the Registry. For more information about training opportunities or about the Caregiver Registry please call Laura, Lucy or Terri at the Caregiver Support Project at 707-443-4363 or toll free at (877) 977-7604.

Bella Holmes is the Caregiver Support Project manager.