The Schmieding Home Caregiver Training program uses a formally written curriculum, designed by nurses, to teach both the certified and family caregiver courses. Each manual is comprehensive and contains everything the instructor needs to teach a class. The use of a formal curriculum ensures that every student receives consistent information throughout all levels of training and helps maintain the integrity of the program from one location to the next.
PARAPROFESSIONAL
The curriculum for teaching paraprofessionals meets both federal and state training requirements for both home health and nursing home care. It also incorporates the state training requirements for personal care assistant and home health aide. The curriculum for certified training is uniquely designed to teach home caregiving content and contains four levels.
Elder Pal (EP)
The Elder Pal curriculum contains 25 hours of content and focuses on the “basic” principles of home care. The class contains 15 hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of skills practice and competency evaluation.
Personal Care Assistant (PCA)
The Personal Care Assistant curriculum contains 25 hours of content that builds on the skills and concepts learned in Elder Pal. The Personal Care Assistant training focuses heavily on “hands-on” personal care skills needed to care for someone requiring minimum to moderate assistance. In this curriculum 14 hours are dedicated to classroom instruction and 11 hours are allotted for skills practice and competency check-off.
Home Care Assistant (HCA)
The Home Care Assistant curriculum contains 50 hours of content, again building on the skills and concepts learned in the Personal Care Assistant curriculum. The Home Care Assistant curriculum focuses on the more advanced caregiving skills for in-home and long-term care settings. In the Home Care Assistant curriculum, 16.5 hours are dedicated to classroom instruction, 17.5 hours are allotted for skills practice and competency, and 16 hours are allocated for off-site clinical experience.
Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia (AD)
The Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia curriculum contains 16 hours of content on the care of a person with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. This course can be taken anytime after completion of the Elder Pal course.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Upon completion of the certified classes, graduates are encouraged to attend 12 hours of continuing education per year. For this purpose, the Schmieding program offers 12 hours of continuing education. These programs review topics pertinent to caring for an older adult in the home, such as fall prevention and/or present detailed information on health conditions not covered during the classes.
FAMILY CAREGIVER EDUCATION
There are two programs for teaching family or friends. One addresses the physical skills of caring for an older adult and the other addresses caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. This curriculum combines content from a number of sources including standards and guidelines from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
The goal of the family caregiver workshops is to introduce family caregivers to the basic skills needed to provide quality care for an aging family member.
Physical Skills
The physical skills curriculum contains information on infection control, skin care, incontinence management, nutrition, body mechanics, mobility, caregiver stress, safety and activities of daily living.
Caring for the Person with Dementia
The curriculum for this workshop presents an overview of Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, communication techniques, understanding behaviors, activities, nutrition and hydration, caregiver stress and maintaining respect, dignity and quality of life.
REVIEW AND EVALUATION
The curriculum and process used to teach the Schmieding Home Caregiver Training Program undergoes continual evaluation. Manuals and content are reviewed prior to teaching each class and content undergoes a thorough review process once a year by members of a multidisciplinary staff of healthcare professionals.
CURRICULUM DEVELOPERS
For additional questions or more information about the “Schmieding Method” curriculum contact:
Elder Stay At Home, Inc.
11908 Kanis Road, Suite G-1
Little Rock, AR 72211
Larry Yancey, President
Elder Stay At Home, Inc.
501.680.9977 – phone
501.325.3251 – fax
Email: lyancey@elderstayathome.com
Web: http://www.elderstayathome.com/index.html