Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
California’s large caregiver community is the cornerstone of the healthcare system that cares for seniors and people with disabilities at home or in private nursing homes.
The California Department of Aging, through its CalGrows program, offers hundreds of free or paid online courses for unlicensed caregivers and home health aides. These courses will end on September 30, and caregivers who submit applications before August 31 can also receive a bonus of up to $6,000.
Connie Nakano, Assistant Director of the Office of Communications of the California Department of Aging, pointed out that by 2030, a quarter of California’s population will be over 60 years old.
As more California residents develop elderly health problems, the state will face 2 million to 3 million people. To address this challenge, CalGrows.org offers more than 600 free distance and in-person courses covering topics such as dementia care, patient-centered communication, mobility skills, chronic disease management, Care team collaboration and more.
She emphasized that participating in the CalGrows program not only helps develop one’s career, but also has a positive impact on the community. To date, 14,000 caregivers have participated in these courses, and qualified applicants have received a total of more than $7 million. She encouraged more caregivers in need to take advantage of the last chance to apply for these bonuses.
CalGrows trainee Lidia Mawalu said it is strongly recommended that people with elderly people at home take this course. Through the course, she acquired professional knowledge in caring for the elderly, whether at home or in a medical institution.
This knowledge gave her a deeper understanding of the difficulties and obstacles that the elderly face in daily life, as well as their psychological activities, so as to better understand and meet their needs. Each senior’s needs are different, and as a caregiver, this knowledge allows her to be more proactive in anticipating the senior’s needs, improving their quality of life and making the person being cared for feel happier and more hopeful. Lidia added that these online courses have made her love taking care of the elderly even more.
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