Caregiver training teaches caregivers how to take care of the client or family member and how to take care of themselves to avoid caregiver stress.  It is known that even professional caregivers turn out to be so occupied in the care of their patients that they neglect their personal needs. Any individual who wants to become a professional caregiver must ensure herself that proper caregiver training is provided by an agency or institution, whose aim is to produce skilled and efficient caregiver graduates.  Caregiver training provides knowledge and experience that would be useful in their search for a caregiver job, or even if the caregiver decides to take care of senior family members.

Most of caregiver training offered by an agency contains instruction on assisted feeding, bathing, dressing, and helping with other self-care tasks. The agency caregiver training also covers updated details and knowledge on management of emergency situations.  Eventually, all caregiver training from an agency provides information that is integrated with company policies and rules.  There are a few caregiver agencies that have strict guidelines on days off, because families are dependent on having a caregiver during scheduled times.

Caregiver training is important for various reasons, but the most significant is that caregiver training helps guarantee  safety for everyone involved.  Performing a caregiver job without proper caregiver training may result in damage not only to the caregiver but also the person receiving care. Furthermore, many treatable conditions can be overlooked if the caregiver is not properly trained to provide a descriptive report on changes in the patient’s condition.

Caregivers are taught not only what to look for, to detect changes in condition,  but also what information to report and how to advocates for the older person and their family.

It is also significant that caregiver training may also include training the individual about assistive technologies and most prominently, where to refer adults with disabilities for additional support. The utilization of assistive technologies is flourishing, preventing injuries and improving stress management in family caregivers. It is important that families have access and support in using assistive technologies, so they can eventually give better care at less risk for themselves and for their patients.

Caregiver training can provide fresh ideas and new techniques that can help caregivers in keeping their profession a stress free profession.

Becoming a good caregiver is a product of combined effort and the desire of an individual to serve his or her patient with passion and patience, especially the elderly and the sick. How to be a caregiver is not a difficult question to answer. These days, however it is still hard to find a good caregiver that possesses the passion and faith needed to be a ‘real caregiver’. Every caregiver has their own personality, wants and desires, and by opting to become a professional caregiver there should be a natural desire of the person to give his or her time and understanding to the patient.

How to be a caregiver is choice! A person who decides to be a caregiver should think about the job. Taking care of other people is actually a very taxing and tough job, particularly since the people being taken care of are individuals you don’t know. This makes the job challenging, yet manageable. Professional caregiver training helps a lot in a person’s job as a caregiver. Instruction in how to be a caregiver educates the caregiver to deal with stressful situations, most particular in the work place.

Not all individual have the luck to become a good and successful caregiver. A good caregiver must possess a kind, compassionate and caring heart that can feel the need of others and lend a hand to take care of them when they are powerless to do for themselves. This means that an innate personality of passion for this job is a basic requirement. Care giving is extremely noble and humanitarian. If you think you possess an inner yearning to help the elderly, the sick and the needy, then you should be grateful because you are fortunate to be one of those who are able to  be a caregiver.

It is very important to familiarize yourself with the person you will be taking care of; this includes the patient’s attitude and the environment where you will be working. In this way, it would be easy for you to get acquainted with other members of the family, and thus it would be helpful to you to handle unexpected situations effectively. Part of a being a caregiver, is to familiarize yourself with the patient’s illness to make it easy for you to give the right medication. How to be a caregiver is a special profession that requires passion and love for human beings. The career is a very challenging profession.

Whether you’re a family caregiver, or caring for a senior individual or a friend in your neighborhood, you are lucky because you have the passion of kindness to your heart. To learn how to be a caregiver is vital, for you must be diligent to provide a tender sense of patience, love, motivation and encouragement. A good caregiver is a giver of love and care!

The Caregiver’s Training Program is a skills enhancement activity that provides caregivers with direct practical knowledge of procedures and resources needed to facilitate easy and dignified remaining years for elderly patients and family members. It is not necessary to have a nursing degree or any kind of medical background to fully understand the nature of the caregiver training program.

A caregiver training program is designed to help individuals of legal age who generously give their time caring for their elderly kin members, who may be seriously ill or have neurological disabilities. The caregiver is not concerned primarily with a high salary, but is rewarded more by the emotional and physical well being of the recipient of care.

Through participation in a caregiver training program, an individual has the opportunity to be educated in the proper and appropriate care for elderly. The purpose of the caregiver training program is to provide safe, kind care to loved ones at home. Moreover, it is also essential to teach caregivers about the importance and details of self-care, and to give them the chance to partake in other support network activities with other individuals, so they can share their experiences and get some thoughts and ideas that could help them gain self- confidence.

In most cases, caregivers develop an emotional attachment to those they are caring for. There are times when caregivers must accept the fact that the person they are caring for is declining   in health and/ or mental fitness. However, it can’t be denied that there are caregivers who, at times, may also experience resentment toward their patients due to increasingly difficult care demands. It is the goal of caregiver training program to educate caregivers to recognize unpredictable emotions, and to take time to understand each individual’s emotions.

Caring for someone who is old and/or ill is a big challenge for anyone. It is important to consider that aside from patience and compassion, certain skills are required for caregivers working for professional agencies, or who just want to take care of their own family member. The various strategies associated with modernized online classroom caregiver training programs are now made available for continued education and skills upgrading.  Training materials are provided to guide prospective caregivers in the different aspects of caring for the elderly and disabled, such as communication, and daily care and treatment for certain ailments.

The major attraction of a caregiver training program is the accessibility online. Many online websites for caregiver and health trainings offers comprehensive materials that are easy to download. More specific materials like e-books and DVDs are made ready for those who may want to enhance their knowledge on a particular area. For those who are in the profession or may have the passion of giving care, it is critical to focus on the importance of the caregiver’s own personal needs as well.

The most numbered of seniors choose to age-in-place, or settle in their own dwelling, as they get old. Eventually, most of them require care giving assistants to take care and assist them in their needs. In America most insurance companies recommend American seniors plan for minimum of 2 years of senior care giver services when they retire. Numerically, almost hundred of home for the aged and similar caregiver agencies for older people have offered their support services for the past 10 years. Care giving for elders has become a main concern; senior care services are as good as the caregiver giving out help and care. A caregiver training certification support caregivers to deliver an excellent health care for their clients.

It is imperative to understand the care giving for seniors necessitate an extensive range of skills, as aged people are dealing with the challenge of aging and combat poor health and age-related illnesses. There are various certified and accredited caregiver programs for nursing aides and home health aides that teach many hands-on skills, but most of the time requires supplementary methodologies and new techniques on proper care giving support in caring for patients with memory loss, including Alzheimer’s disease.

Caregiver training does not end in a formal caregiver training school. To be able to learn the latest techniques and be updated a caregiver training video is the best guide that can assist you with providing senior care.  Most caregiver training videos are divided into short sequence with focus on various phase of care giving for the aged. How do you help someone recuperating from a stroke?  How do you intermingle with an aged person with Alzheimer’s disease? Caregiver training videos will facilitate you better comprehend how to give senior care for your aged clients and or loved ones whether you are a professional or family caregiver.

Although training is crucial, care giving responsibilities can be so much more effective and easier to manage if you continue to learn and acquire updated knowledge in care giving. As a caregiver, everyday jobs may not seem difficult as expected if it is appreciatively performed with kindness and know-how to correctly and safely perform them. In most cases of training, hands-on ranked as most preferred, since there is a trained expert accessible to respond to your queries and to watch you apply your techniques. Assistance and guidance can be given right away to support the learning. It is also important that caregivers must spare a time to view caregiver training videos which can also be useful for family providers caring for someone at home. It is much better if family and friends who are placed in care giving positions train themselves through caregiver training videos so they may understand how to interact with an aged person and or person suffering from severe illnesses.

Caregiver training videos are beneficial whether you are a certified nursing aide, home health aide, companion caregiver or family caregiver, apparently these videos will facilitate you get better upon your present skills and acquire more skills and knowledge  about the newest advancement  or successful care giving.

Nothing personal intended.  But know this: if you’re having problems running (injuries, pain, frustration, guilt) you’re not alone. So blindly follow the pack no more.   Prolonged running is unhealthy for most people, especially on concrete or asphalt.  It’s unnatural for the human body.  Running can, and often does, do more harm than good—that’s if you can keep on doing it.

I forget how many times I tried to run at least three times per week and gave up after a few weeks.  And now, as I’m speed walking around the park, another flushed face passes me by; sweaty, a huffing, puffing body-in-tow, bouncing off the toes, elbows cocked tight, arms swinging from side to side (bad form).  Unfortunately (or fortunately) many of the earnest souls I see pounding the asphalt path will vanish soon enough.

I managed to complete the New York City Marathon in 1987 in 4 hours, 9 minutes.   But frankly, that was an ordeal I never want to repeat. These days, I’ve been speed walking 2 to 3 miles 4 to 5 days per week for the last 7 months.  I do it after I get home from work, in the dark if I’m late, it doesn’t matter.  For the first time in my life, I’ve found a way to stay in shape that’s sustainable.

I feel good, sometimes great, and have lots of energy most of the time.   I love the feeling of walking as fast as I can (which can be quite challenging, believe me).  I especially appreciate the lack of pain in my knees and hips, and knowing that my blood is being saturated with oxygen for 20 to 30 minutes, nourishing my brain and muscles, removing toxins from my body,  keeping me strong and able to do the things I want to do.

Of course, there’s plenty of room for improvement.  But I feel comfortable knowing I don’t need to be strong enough to run another marathon…or some other big thing like that.  My point is, getting enough exercise doesn’t have to be a big deal, such a big challenge.  You can gain cardiovascular conditioning that’s more than adequate for your needs and enjoy yourself with much less chance of injury.  Moderate interest and  perhaps a little push out of your comfort zone is all you need to get off to a good start.

So here’s what I recommend, O caregiver who will benefit greatly from the strength and  energy that comes from regular exercise.   If you’ve recently started a running program and you’re enjoying it, keep it up; but make sure you practice correct stretching and warm-up techniques; and don’t ignore or suppress painful symptoms.   If you’re thinking about starting a running program (check with your doctor first), try speed walking instead.  If you’re running and it feels like you’re struggling, maybe about to quit, then quit, be glad you did, and try speed walking.

Here’s a brief definition of speed walking, sometimes called power walking.  For now, forget about the exaggerated arm pumping or heel striking you may have heard about.  Just walk at a moderate, natural, heel-to-toe gait pattern, then gradually escalate to a brisk pace.  Relax your arms and let them move in a natural reciprocal pattern with your legs.  Breathe deeply in a rhythmic pattern that feels comfortable.  Focus on your form, not allowing your arms to cross the mid-line of your body.  Music via ear plugs and talking on a cell phone are not recommended.  Get better at being present in the moment, at being with your self.

You may be thinking I’ve skipped over an important part of the story: how I’ve managed, finally, to stick with an exercise program for seven moths—while for the remainder of my life I’ve been a failure at exercising.   I’m saving that part for next time, along with details about speed walking and muscle strengthening and stretching exercises.  Meanwhile, let me know your thoughts, and tune in for the next issue.

 
By Dr. Alexander M. Zwick DPT, CSCS

(note: “her” and “she” will be used for simplicity of usage)

If you’re someone who’s been taking care of an elderly person, chances are you’ve witnessed the phenomenon of retropulsion, the tendency of a person to lean backwards, and/or to consistently lose balance backwardly, or the inability to walk forward because of an involuntary failure in muscle coordination to produce forward strides.

You may have observed this phenomenon when trying to get your client out of a chair, where she will appear stuck in place, unable to lean forward or to get up.  Despite telling the client what to do, she is not able to move her trunk forward enough to get her weight over her feet.  When walking, the client may be unable to initiate forward steps, and may fall backwards when standing.   Retropulsion will significantly affect your client’s safety and management will be more difficult.  Although in many cases the cause of retropulsion is unknown, the following causes have been identified:

Low blood pressure: the client’s blood pressure is below the appropriate level as recommended by her physician.

Ankle tightness: the muscles of calf are tight and/or the patient’s heels are unable to touch the ground when standing.  This is particularly common in persons who spend a lot of time in bed.

Neurological conditions: clients suffering from dementia, stroke, or Parkinson’s disease may exhibit retropulsion.

Prolonged bed rest:  this relates more to the client who spends as much as 24 hours a day in bed continuously.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREVENT RETROPULSION, OR TO RETARD AND MANAGE THE CONDITION?

Maintain good ankle flexibility: frequent stretching of  the ankle muscles, or basic, erect standing will help to maintain proper ankle mobility.

Reduce anxiety: the client may be afraid of falling out of her chair or falling forward. Make sure she feels safe.  Giving your client the proper assistance and reassurance that she isn’t going to fall can be helpful.

Have a properly sized assistive device (e.g., cane, walker): the device should be no higher than the patient’s wrist crease with the client standing erect.  An improperly fit assistive device, especially one that’s too high, can predispose your client to losing her balance backwards.

Practice standing: stand with your client as erect as possible at the kitchen counter, or with the client holding onto a sturdy chair.

Monitor blood pressure: Make sure it is within safe guidelines as recommended by her physician. An electronic blood pressure cuff is automatic, cheap and available at your local pharmacy or grocery.

Practice good body mechanics:  in order for your client to get out of a chair successfully, she must have her center of gravity over the base of support.  In layman’s terms, she must have her weight over her feet to minimize the tendency to fall backwards.  A useful saying is “keep your nose over your toes”.

Maximize independence: when helping your client up from a chair, your assistance should be directed at getting her to lean forward, and not just to lift her up.  In many cases, the patient has the strength to sit up, but body mechanics is faulty.  Lifting her might not be necessary.  A higher seat might also make getting her out of the chair easier.

Things to remember:

• If the phenomenon of retropulsion happens for the first time, out of “nowhere”, it may be worth seeing a doctor
• Work smarter, not harder.  Raise your client’s seat; give her verbal or tactile cues to assist her body mechanics; assist her in a way that also helps you.
• Don’t get frustrated.  The client is usually very afraid of falling and has no control over her balance.  Patience and knowledge can go a long way.