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The elderly and disabled population needs the caregiver community, and to better prepare them, hundreds of courses are available for these unlicensed workers, home health aides and certified nurses; the courses end on September 30. However, if caregivers register before August 31, they can earn up to $6,000 to learn and use new skills.
California's large caregiver population forms the backbone of the health care system for seniors and/or people with disabilities, many of whom are unpaid family members and friends who volunteer their time to care for loved ones and therefore have no prior training.
To help these caregivers provide the support that seniors and people with disabilities need, the California Department of Aging offers hundreds of free online courses in different languages through its Caregiver Training Program. CalGROWS.
And there is a shortage of caregivers, which could affect the health system. That is why this program is so important, because in this way we are also investing in the communities, said Connie Nakano, deputy director of the Office of Communications for the California Department of Aging during a briefing held by Ethnic Media Services.
The program has more than 600 courses that are available in 9 languages and approximately 14 thousand people have participated in more than 89 thousand courses of the program.
Nakano is calling on citizens to participate as there is little time left, only until the end of September, however the financial incentive ends on August 30.
The great advantage of these courses is that you can dedicate as much time as you have to them. If you invest enough time in weeks, you would be making great progress. The demand comes from the professional sector, but also from family members who have stayed on to act as caregivers, Nakano added.
Lidia Mawalu, a caregiver and CalGrows trainee in Monterey County, took the caregiver courses and says they gave her a wealth of knowledge on how to care for seniors.
"These courses helped me understand what is happening in the daily life of an elderly person, for example, medications, it helps me understand what they need, but mainly what I need to do to provide preventive care," said Lidia Mawalu.
By taking these courses, Lidia said that her self-esteem and self-confidence have grown because she feels more prepared in what she loves to do and, above all, she knows that she provides a better service to those who need her.
Carmen Contreras, a CalGrows apprentice, is taking care of her father. She has been learning step by step the things she needs to do, how and why each thing works, despite having worked in this sector before. With the courses and her father, she has learned much more in a short time.
"Of the courses I took, it was home support that lasts 48 hours. You do a lot of online work, which is personal, and then you make a presentation. In the last 4 weeks, the classes are in person and they teach you all the skills you need to care for others," said Contreras.
Sean Hidalgo, director of classes at ACC Senior Services, a community center in Sacramento, said the courses are very broad and you can learn about different illnesses such as cancer care, dementia, dietary planning and the aging process, which is very important.
Having the opportunity to take these courses offers the opportunity to prepare at no cost, but not only that, there are incentives available, which allows you to be motivated to grow, learn, grow and improve, Hidalgo added when talking about the benefits.
"Suddenly everyone was signing up, we contacted people, we distributed flyers in different languages, community centers so that eligible people could take the classes," Hidalgo concluded.
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