What Caregivers Learn - Core Skill Tracks 

1) Daily Care & Safety

• Bathing, dressing, toileting with dignity and infection-control basics

• Transfers and mobility: safe use of gait belts, walkers, wheelchairs; preventing falls

• Positioning & skin care: pressure-injury prevention, incontinence management

• Home setup: grab bars, non-slip flooring, lighting, and simple equipment

2) Dementia & Cognitive Support

• Communication that reduces agitation and sundowning

• Cueing, redirection, wandering prevention, and door/bed alarms

• Routines that maintain function and reduce caregiver burnout

3) Medication & Health Monitoring (non-clinical)

• Medication lists, reminders, safe storage, refills/renewals

• Vital sign basics (when appropriate) and symptom tracking for doctor visits

• Coordinating with pharmacists and providers

4) Nighttime & High-Risk Situations

• Overnight safety, toileting plans, and when awake-overnight care is needed

• Post-hospital transitions: discharge checklists, follow-up scheduling, red-flag symptoms

5) Planning & Benefits Navigation

• Overview of home-care options (agency aides, CDPAP, adult day programs)

• Medicaid/MLTC and long-term care insurance basics; documentation you’ll need

• Caregiver rights, respite options, and support groups

6) Caregiver Well-Being

• Stress cycles, boundary setting, family roles, and realistic respite plans

• Time-saving tools (delivery services, pill organizers, calendars, EVV/timekeeping)

Where to Find Workshops

• Hospitals & Health Systems: caregiver academies, discharge classes, fall-prevention series

• Area Agencies on Aging / County Offices for the Aging: free or low-cost classes, respite grants, support groups

• City & State Aging Agencies (NYC Aging; NYS programs): skills trainings, legal/benefits clinics, language-accessible events

• Disease-specific nonprofits: Alzheimer’s/dementia, Parkinson’s, stroke, cancer often offer live webinars and local sessions

• Veterans’ services: caregiver skills and benefits navigation for eligible veterans/families

• Community Colleges & Libraries: evening or weekend caregiver basics; some offer certificates/CEUs

• Home-care agencies, FIs, and health plans: CDPAP orientation, EVV/timekeeping, safe-transfer demos

• Faith-based and community centers: peer-led workshops and respite days

Many organizations run hybrid schedules (in-person + Zoom). Ask about language access, captioning, and wheelchair-accessible venues.

How to Choose the Right Workshop

1. Match the skill to the problem. If falls or back pain are issues, prioritize safe transfer/mobility first.

2. Check level: “Basics” vs. “Advanced” (e.g., dementia behavioral strategies).

3. Confirm trainer credentials (RN, OT/PT, dementia specialist, or experienced educator).

4. Format: Hands-on labs are best for transfers; webinars are fine for benefits/ paperwork.

5. Support materials: Look for checklists, videos, and helplines you can use later.

6. Cost & time: Many classes are free or low-cost; confirm duration (60–90 minutes vs. multi-week series).

7. Location & access: Parking, public transit, elevators, restrooms, and interpreter services if needed.

Sample Syllabus - use or adapt

Week 1: Home Safety & Transfers

• Fall risks, grab-bar placement, safe bed/chair transfers, wheelchair basics

Week 2: Dementia Communication & Daily Routines

• De-escalation language, bathing/mealtime strategies, wandering prevention

Week 3: Medication, Appointments & Paperwork

• Medication systems, symptom logs, portals, release forms, transportation planning

Week 4: Benefits, Respite & Emergency Planning

• Medicaid/MLTC/CDPAP overview, respite options, go-bag, after-hours decision tree

After the Workshop: Turn Training into Daily Wins

• Rewrite the care plan with new steps (e.g., “two-person transfer only,” “bed alarm nightly”).

• Label and stage equipment (walker near bed, non-slip mat down).

• Teach your backup helpers using the handouts or a short video you record.

• Schedule a skills refresh every 3–6 months or when needs change (new diagnosis, falls, wandering, hospital stay).

How Individual Home Care Helps

• Personalized training plan: We match your top challenges to the right classes (transfer lab vs. dementia series vs. benefits clinic).

• Registration & reminders: We book you into online or local sessions and coordinate accessibility needs.

• Care plan integration: We update your home-care routine and safety checklist based on what you learn.

• Resource follow-through: If a class suggests equipment or program changes, we help you implement quotes, forms, and reassessments.

Educational use only. For medical or legal questions, ask your providers or an attorney. Training content complements not clinical care.

Ready to feel more confident at home? Contact us.