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Who are you caring for?
Which best describes their mobility?
How well are they maintaining their hygiene?
How are they managing their medications?
Does their living environment pose any safety concerns?
Fall risks, spoiled food, or other threats to wellbeing
Are they experiencing any memory loss?
Which best describes your loved one's social life?
Acknowledgment of Disclosures and Authorization
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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I acknowledge and authorize
✔
I consent to the collection of my consumer health data.*
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I consent to the sharing of my consumer health data with qualified home care agencies.*
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Mostly Independent
Your loved one may not require home care or assisted living services at this time. However, continue to monitor their condition for changes and consider occasional in-home care services for help as needed.
Remember, this assessment is not a substitute for professional advice.
Share a few details and we will match you to trusted home care in your area:
Agingcare is a caregiver support site, not an employer of caregivers. But, you started in a good place. You may find you need us if you become a caregiver. Call agencies in your area to see if there are any requirements in your state or of your employer. A few national agencies are Visiting Angels, Home Instead or Right at Home, there are many. Or a nursing home?
You should not have any trouble finding a position, there is rapid turnover most places due to low pay and work conditions being the behaviors commonly seen in the elderly.
Qualifications depend on what kind of care you're looking to start doing and what state you're in. Here are the levels of in-home care as I know them.
The first level of care is Homemaker/Companion. These people do housekeeping, meals, provide companionship, run errands, and take the clients out (recreational activities, drs appointments, shopping). The do not do any hands-on care. They also remind clients to take their meds but aren't allowed to handle them.
The second level of care is CNA/HHA (Certified Nurse Assistant/Home Health Aide). These are people who usually have to do all of the first level of care jobs along with their own. CNA/HHA has to have a training certificate and in some states the person has to have worked for one year in a care facility before they can do homecare. The main job of the CNA is hands-on client care (toileting, diapering, bathing, repositioning, transferring, dressing, feeding, maintenance of some types of medical equipment). They too remind clients to take their meds, but most in homecare will just give it to them if there's no one else to do it. The third level is the APCNA (Advanced Practice Certified Nurse's Assistant). This person is pretty much like an LPN or LVN only they have to do all the above jobs, along with doing client meds and other basic procedures (monitoring vitals, blood pressure and pulse ox checks, dressing changes, use of and basic maintenance of some medical equipment). They get more money than the first two, but not as much as a nurse. The education costs far less than nursing school. Not worth it though. Become an actual nurse if you want to be in this field. The work is more stable, the pay is higher, and you don't have to do disgusting the grunt work. The CNA's do that. I can't for the life of me understand why on earth you'd want to become an in-home caregiver. I did it almost 25 years and the thought of doing it makes me want to stick a fork in my eye. Good luck to you.
BurntCaregiver offers some suggestions on the levels of caregiving you might want to pursue. If you're interested in dementia care, there are specific certifications you can earn, such as Certified Dementia Caregiver. You should also have dementia specific training. Being certified shows patients you're committed to providing the best care possible
Besides those credentialed occupations, however, there are many personal attributes that a person should have to be an effective, caring, person- centered carer. Some of these are compassion, ability to handle or know what to do in an emergency, ability to separate emotions from patients needs, patience, flexibility, and empathy, for example. Being person-centered is important. Being a caregiver isn't one size fits all. Person-centered care means establishing a relationship with the client and their families, not just as a client, but as an individual with specific needs- comfort, safety, understanding, and emotional support, for example.
I would suggest that you look into becoming certified as a caregiver. Programs and courses are available for as little as $100-500. The following links might help you get started. Good luck.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
You should not have any trouble finding a position, there is rapid turnover most places due to low pay and work conditions being the behaviors commonly seen in the elderly.
The first level of care is Homemaker/Companion. These people do housekeeping, meals, provide companionship, run errands, and take the clients out (recreational activities, drs appointments, shopping). The do not do any hands-on care. They also remind clients to take their meds but aren't allowed to handle them.
The second level of care is CNA/HHA (Certified Nurse Assistant/Home Health Aide). These are people who usually have to do all of the first level of care jobs along with their own. CNA/HHA has to have a training certificate and in some states the person has to have worked for one year in a care facility before they can do homecare. The main job of the CNA is hands-on client care (toileting, diapering, bathing, repositioning, transferring, dressing, feeding, maintenance of some types of medical equipment). They too remind clients to take their meds, but most in homecare will just give it to them if there's no one else to do it.
The third level is the APCNA (Advanced Practice Certified Nurse's Assistant). This person is pretty much like an LPN or LVN only they have to do all the above jobs, along with doing client meds and other basic procedures (monitoring vitals, blood pressure and pulse ox checks, dressing changes, use of and basic maintenance of some medical equipment). They get more money than the first two, but not as much as a nurse. The education costs far less than nursing school. Not worth it though. Become an actual nurse if you want to be in this field. The work is more stable, the pay is higher, and you don't have to do disgusting the grunt work. The CNA's do that.
I can't for the life of me understand why on earth you'd want to become an in-home caregiver. I did it almost 25 years and the thought of doing it makes me want to stick a fork in my eye. Good luck to you.
Besides those credentialed occupations, however, there are many personal attributes that a person should have to be an effective, caring, person- centered carer. Some of these are compassion, ability to handle or know what to do in an emergency, ability to separate emotions from patients needs, patience, flexibility, and empathy, for example. Being person-centered is important. Being a caregiver isn't one size fits all. Person-centered care means establishing a relationship with the client and their families, not just as a client, but as an individual with specific needs- comfort, safety, understanding, and emotional support, for example.
I would suggest that you look into becoming certified as a caregiver. Programs and courses are available for as little as $100-500. The following links might help you get started. Good luck.
https://americancaregiverassociation.org/product/national-caregiver-certification-course-nccc/
https://ncbac.net/