Are professionals in the field of caregiving and senior health counseled and do they have continuing education requirements?
Having worked in a field that had a high rate of loss of life I understand the toll that takes on a person. As professionals we were counseled and had opportunity to enhance our understanding and compassion. We were taught how to choose our words wisely and to think of how they affect others. So in my search for an assisted living situation for mom I am surprised at the things that have been said to me. More than once I have heard, "Well we don't have an opening now but we do have two on hospice....." or "Well sometimes we bring them in kicking and screaming but they get used to it". Today a private home caregiver said mom would need to buy her own diapers. I explained that she was not incontinent. He then replied, "Well it's our experience once they are here they need diapers within two weeks". Seriously did he think that was a selling point? People are so callous, and refer to the elderly with a collective "they" followed by unflattering comments. I'm so discouraged in my search.
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In the last few days I've met with two different health care professionals. One was outstanding. She was and still is a caregiver to a parent. The other one was lacking in insight, tact, sensitivity, and comprehension of older people, especially someone slipping into the last stages of life.
It affected her attitude, my attitude and response, and more importantly, my confidence in her ability to even offer any help. What she expected was more appropriate for someone at a much younger age, not someone inching toward 100 years of age.
After one session, I was ready to ask the agency to send someone else.
But with this agency, out of 3 physical therapists, only one really had the
insight and experience to deal with someone at an advanced age and stage in life.
It's hard for me to believe that two people could be so completely lacking in experience with the elderly - or with caregivers. By the time this person left yesterday, I had been given a "to do" list of changes that I was expected to make. I guess she thought I was an employee, not a caregiver.
An agency can train a person, send him/her to classes, but sometimes life experience trumps all that training when elderly people (and their caregivers) are involved.
I find it hard to believe that every licensed direct care CG doesn't have to have CPR certification.
Some states require RN's to take continuing education credits for license renewal. I am a RN & do not have to in my state.
But employers require mandatory annual inservices on different topics and usually employers follow guidelines set by each state or federal agencies that are written in Medicare Conditions of Coverage if the facility wants to maintain certification to be able to take care of & get reimbursement for care provided to Medicare patients.
For instance as a dialysis RN I was required to have infection control inservices 2x a year, medical waste disposal, Hazardous chemical inservices, to name a few but certainly had to be CPR certified.
Some positions require inservices on Diversity in the workplace, etc.
When I was a home care RN we were required to have inservices on Proper Guidelines for taking care of elderly folks too.
So...if you want to review what mandatory inservices are required for Long Term Care facilities that accept Medicare/Medicaid patients, go to DHHS website or your state's regulatory body that issues licenses to LTC agencies and review "Conditions of Coverage" for Nursing homes and these guidelines are clearly stated.
Administrative staff were not required to have mandatory CPR certification but every staff member that was a direct or indirect provider (Dietician, Social Worker) were required to be current in CPR certification.
Hope this helps.
I have more to write but it would probably be along the same line, so don't feel alone.
As to continuing ed, I'm guessing that if any of the people coming are actually medical people, they have to have a certain level of continuing education to keep their licenses current. Private duty workers are a different story. From what I can tell, their training depends on the agency.
Some agency reps tell me that have continuing ed classes. One agency owner told me he can train someone in 4 hours. Really??? Only 4 hours?