Center for Caregiver Advancement Addresses Urgent Need for Caregiver Training Through Career Pathways Program

Thousands sign up for free training, offered in eight languages; Alzheimer's care courses are the most in-demand

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Responding to the urgent need for a highly trained workforce that will take care of California's aging and disabled population, caregivers are signing up by the thousands for the free training offered by the Center for Caregiver Advancement (CCA) through the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) Career Pathways Program. The program is part of the state's Master Plan for Aging roadmap, which includes evidence-based, specialized caregiver training as one of its top priorities in the next two years.

CCA is the only organization utilizing evidence-based curriculum that has already been tested and delivered to more than 10,000 caregivers in California. The curriculum for the Career Pathways Program is based on CCA's existing training on Alzheimer's and dementia care (IHSS+ ADRD), emergency preparedness and community resilience (Caregiver Resiliency Teams), and basic skills (IHSS+). CCA has also developed new training content for diabetes, traumatic brain injury, and autism care.

"With California's population aged 65+ expected to grow to 10.8 million by 2030, the need for training caregivers has never been more urgent," says Corinne Eldridge, CCA President and CEO. "CCA has been a pioneer of an equity-driven movement for quality training for over two decades. We are proud to partner with the California Department of Social Services in making training accessible to paid caregivers in the state. The Career Pathways Program will bring advancement opportunities to the workforce, which will help attract and retain workers."

Recognizing the cultural and linguistic diversity of this workforce, CCA's classes for the state initiative are offered in eight languages (English, Spanish, Korean, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Armenian and Russian). CCA is the only training provider offering courses in this many languages.

"The majority of caregivers are women of color and immigrants who are fluent in languages other than English. We ensure that they can take our training in the language that they will be most successful in," says Eldridge. "We know from our long history in the field and studies of our impact that our training can lead to higher retention, skills gain and higher quality care because caregivers have the knowledge and confidence to be successful in their jobs, leading to better health outcomes for consumers."

MOST IN-DEMAND LEARNING PATHWAY: ALZHEIMER'S CARE

CCA's classes for the Career Pathways Program filled within days of opening registration. The most popular courses were part of the Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD) learning pathway, with more than 3,000 IHSS providers signing up for the ADRD courses and joining the waitlist in January.

IHSS provider Carlos Martinez registered for multiple classes in the ADRD learning pathway because he wants to know what to expect as his mother goes through the stages of Alzheimer's. "I want to understand the 'why' of many of the things we do as caregivers. Most of the time you think you know what to do because it's routine, or you watched somebody do it. But it's different when an instructor teaches you the right way," he says. "It's great that the state is now involved with funding training for caregivers."

Long an advocate for caregiver advancement, CCA worked with SEIU Local 2015 to advance a statewide workforce development initiative for long-term care workers. That advocacy work led to the inclusion of $200 million in California's Senate Bill 172 for the IHSS Career Pathways Program. The initiative is part of a historic $2.5 billion investment in the direct care workforce under California's Master Plan for Aging.

ABOUT CCA: The Center for Caregiver Advancement is the largest provider of training for caregivers in California and has trained more than 20,000 nursing home workers and in-home caregivers. Founded in 2000 by the long-term care workers who are now members of SEIU Local 2015, CCA provides quality educational opportunities including free classes for in-home caregivers and nursing home workers to help them build better lives for themselves and the people they serve. advancecaregivers.org

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SOURCE Center for Caregiver Advancement