Frequently Asked Questions about Home Care: How much training does my caregiver have?

Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), the agency that oversees licensure of all home care companies in the state, requires that all agency staff complete 6 hours of dementia training and another 6 hours of standard practice training at the beginning of employment. This includes confidentiality, safety, emergency preparedness, infection control, how to provide personal care within a home setting and comply with mandated reporting. Each year the caregiver has about 12 different education training courses that they must complete to maintain employment with the agency. AtHome has the additional benefit of collaborating with Meadowbrook Health Center and can facilitate most of this training through hands-on education in the “Annual Skills Days” that ClarkLindsey provides to our nursing team members. Upon hire we provide the same content as the Annual Skills Day to support and connect staff with the information and education they need to provide the best care possible within our clients’ homes.

This article was written by Sarah Cook, Director of atHome with ClarkLindsey.