I want to start using the skills I have as a caregiver, how do I go about this?

It sounds as though you want your caregiving experience towards a paying career.
If this is not the case and you just want to lend a helping hand you would be invaluable as a hospice volunteer.
Hospice does provide a training program for new volunteer , but with your previous experience truly understanding the trials and tribulations would be so welcome to other caregivers.

ladies thank you all these are such good suggestions that I did not even think about. Iam going to look into all of them, thanks again.

I would look into the freelance geriatric case manager business, with your degrees that would likely be a lucrative business. Just think of the private pay NH and AL facilities that have out of state family as your base line. When you're paying 5 - 10 K a mo for mom what is another $ 250 or so a week to get a email with a jpeg attached of mom or knowing that yes you will go and buy her a new pair of SAS shoes or yes that you will go to Michaels and get a new wreath for her door. The one at my mom's seems to have most of her time doing these kind of things - the surrogate family stuff. I'd get bonded and do it as an LLC. If there were do-overs I'd have gotten a masters in nutrition and been a registered dietitian and own a food pr firm - the one's I know have more work than they can deal with especial with crisis management issues.

To Igloo572, I have a Masters degree in Human Service, I am also certified in assisted living, but I have had a hard time finding good steady employment. Thank you for your suggestion. I'm working on my second Masters in Busness Administration, because I did think of starting my own business.

A lot of this will depend on your existing level of education and the demographics of where you live and what type of caregiving you did. There is certainly a lot of need out there.

At my mom's NH, there is a free lance geriatric case manager who is literally swamped with work and can choose who she wants to work with. She is a retired RN who works only with out of state family who has a parent in the NH. Basically she goes in as needed, visits the residents, sends photos, reviews charts, and emails a weekly report to family. She charges $ 50 hr. The other case manager I've met has a social work degree. Neither are employees of the NH but worked at NH or the state dept of health so know the system. These are professionals with a real business and approach it as that and make a good income from it and can control who their client base is. If you don't have a degree or some sort of certificate,and what you did was hands on caregiving, then you kinda are competing for $ with low pay or undocumented workers for a physically demanding job. You need a degree or certificate in order to get beyond that imho. Good luck.

It depends upon qualifications that you have. You can volunteer in our area for something called RSVP. If you are a certified nursing assistant, you can obtain a job for helping. Then again, you could become certified, bonded, get insurance and start up your own business as there is quite a need out there. Good for you, wanting to do this, as after being an RN for many years, I have difficulty physically doing the work required. Good luck to you Randult.

Assume you are referring to a position outside the home utilizing the skills you have acquired caregiving? There are jobs in my area called "visiting angels" - which are people with experience in alz/dementia/elder care work for a private company and visit the elderly homes and provide certain services. Also, some nursing homes have a concierge who is the liason between the staff, families, residents, etc. - this is quite a versatile position and requires personable skills along with a background working or caring for the elderly. You will find conciege positions in the nursing home chains, I believe.

Just a couple of suggestions if that is what you are referring to.