How can I earn my CNA and get income for being my Dad's caregiver?

I so wish you the best of luck. I started out working as a CNA in Chicago at the age of 13 in a hospital where I was given on the job training. It in turn led me to get my R.N., as well as several other degrees. I continue to work in the medical field, however, I do not agree with so much of how we treat mentally ill people today. It was not so impersonal when I started out.
There have to be programs that you can get into on line or go to a junior college, or there are CNA programs that just are offered through colleges that just offer CNA's & medical techs, certification.
You dad has to be getting Medicare?? What about disability?? Go to the nearest Social Security office near you & apply for an application, for an application. I get it sounds nuts but that is the process. I had to do this for my husband to get the professional help he needed. God bless...let me change that-YOU ARE BLESSED, we just forget....I am no different then you.

No, my3kidsok, not always strong, just pretty much on my own and bound and determined not to lose my house or give up without a fight. Just want to be able to stay gainfully employed until I can retire, cannot imagine not being able to make a living and figured getting the STNA would ensure I could get another job quickly and close to home. At this stage, not interested in long-term schooling for anything, no motivation that way, though I love taking classes for my own enrichment. I'll be 60 at the end of this year. I do feel I'm pretty good with seniors and very willing to help others. I've just been so spoiled and comfortable with transcribing at home for so many years, can't imagine not having work enough to make a living doing it, never crossed my mind we'd be nearly phased out. I just know I don't want to return to the office setting again, even if I could find a job doing that, not the way things are these days. Had put my feelers out this past year or two and found I'm not up to snuff for an office, not good with figures and just don't want it. Anyway, I wish you well. You sound so motivated and upbeat, your dad is fortunate to have you.

Depends on where you live. There is a year long study course & I am sure that for just a medical assistant, now kind of replacing CNA, it is shorter. Being a R.N. for over 40 years & teaching as well as working mostly with Psychiatric patients, a so misunderstood population, I am attempting to give you the correct information. What ever you wish to be, you can be.

Also after going through this dad i wonder if i would ever be able to handle taking on eldelry as a career, i know i could not handle a nursing home! I have just always loved seniors and they love me! Is that how you are?

I dont qualify for financial aid btw

Cindyoh, yes they have a wonderful program at the community college. I had wanted at first to get my liscense as a esthetition or massage therapy. Sounded wonderful! I had my table everything. However, this was all part of my dillusional plan as i had opened my own store downtown and had a extra room i had turned into a spa room. Then after much work and having a plan for my future, my marriage was going south and kids needed more from me than beng tied down to a shop! Its alot of work! I since had to sell my equipment after closng the store and thought a cna would give me something to accomplish without spending thousands on massage therapy or a esthetition liscense, yea, i think it is around 500. I had also thought about getting a degree in phlebotomy which would have more consistant pay. But when it all comes down to it, i talk myself out of it! My husband makes good money it would at some point just be nice to feel a since of accomplishment ! Being a mom and wife who doesnt bring in income stinks sometimes! But i have remember my job of just being available and the go to person is priceless! Now dads here and its kind of like having my kids at home all the time now! I do feel strange about asking for financial assistance as a caretaker and get a check, i am sure not doing this for the money, but it would help for things he needs! I may still pursue my cna at some point, but as usual working outside the home is not really a option, i commend you for doing everything u can do, and on top of it pursue what ur career. This is mentally challenging at times! Your much stronger than me obviously!

my3kidsok, I went ahead and got the CNA (actually STNA where I am), mainly because my at-home medical transcription job I've done for years will probably be at an end before the year is out. The Cost me $500 for 75 hours at the nearby career "college." I did it on Saturdays over a few months; most do it over a 2-week period. The last 2 Saturdays were spent in a nursing home on 8-hour shifts, actually doing the job with very little supervision, those places are looking for workers continually. Was hoping to get paid by an agency who'd hire me with mom paying them - everything above board and hopefully no conflict of interest. I'd have to hire a CNA to watch her 8 hours a day while I go out and work otherwise. I doubt she'll be cooperative for daycare at some facility. At this point, I'd be relieved to place her in a nicer Alzheimer unit, then maybe actually get hired on there so I can quit worrying about her plus this whole new lifestyle I'll have to adjust to since I can't retire anytime soon. Maybe you qualify for financial aid regarding getting the CNA, sure worth looking into.

Does anyone have provlems signing into medicare website. This is frustrating!

Home Health and the pharmacy CAN'T DO ANYTHING without a primary doctors prescription/approval and that is a FACT. If it was the "hospital" doctor that prescribed the IV then she would be correct because she was not the attending doctor that filled out the prescription. You can still try submitting the bills to Medicare/Medicaid for reinbursement. I would stongly advise that you seek out the advise of an Elder Attorney. I receive a monthly newletter from this one: dallaselderlawyer. I have not personally used him but he gives free workshops on elder estate planning and his specialty is Elder Law. Other than that I would recommend that you go to the Medicare/Medicaid websites and read "everything" in order to give yourself a crash course of what you will need to know in order to help your dad. While I am not a big fan of them, you might also look into getting a Reverse Mortgage on your dads home in order to help with his financial costs. If that is not an option then perhaps you can turn his home into a rental property in order to provide some additional income. There are a lot of options out there but that is why you would want to talk to an Elder Attorney so that you can weigh out your choices. Information is power and right now you could use all that you can get while your dad is still able to make some of the decisions to help you guide through it all. A side note, a Durable POA does not automatically make you "financially" responsible for his debt, in fact you can have verbage in the POA to that fact, from my I would say "somewhat" knowledge you can have the POA not become effective until such time as your dad for health reasons is unable to make decesions for himself. But again this is something that needs an attorneys advise. A couple of final notes, if your dad doesn't already have one, he needs to have a Will done ASAP or you are possibly looking at the State taking everything. And for general purpose knowledge, bought on Amazon, A Guide to Elder Planning: Everything You Need to Know to Protect Your Loved Ones and Yourself (2nd Edition) by Steve Weisman. Hang in there, you don't have everything you need yet but with a little effort you can get things together for your and your dad's benefit.

Rereading ur other helpful comments. Itried talking to the doctor about how medicade wont cover the antibiotic and she was shocked when i told her how much it cost because she said it is very inexpensive medicine. However she did say it wS home health and pharmacy who were in charge of that part and she had nothing at all to do with it and couldnt sign amything or help that in any way. Hmmmm so what im assuming is my lack of k.owing options as most people wouldnt at that time, i was charged to the hilt, and i dont think theres a way to get reinversed now. But i still may look into it thats 1,000 i could be using to pay his bills and the bank.

Thank you ! In this crash course of all things pertaining to elderly and parents and dealing with relatives :) thats always fun btw. I know ur saying what is right. Medical power of attorney and financial poa. Im afraid of the second, because in all the 50 more yrs n business, theres alot of loose ends with some people. Both ends. The bank is overdrawn and the personal is bare. The bank knows hes with me and is calling me everyday. But i wont put myself on there, it will be closed. Ss will not be enough for him to live on at his house, and all the utilitys are shut down. One step at a time is all we can do right now. But its nice to have ur support! I joined this thread because i truly believe in support systems in different stages of life. Was blessed to have a moms group i could talk things through with and now this. Its alot n everyone and so many things to know concerning these situations. Still alot to learn! I agree, i am sure there are good rehab places but im not wanting to do that since i had a family member go and called me crying about being there. She came home w bed soars and was ignored by some of the staff. I am sure these issues can get controversial. Just as the issues of breastfeeding vs bottle. Working vs staying at home. I truly wouldnt judge either way on whether or which is the right way. Its a tough thing and i am so blessed right now that he is able to walk and function semi on his on. What the next week month day will bring i have no clue! All i know is still, things have changed and it hurts my heart to see him broke and unable to get out of it lie he always has, its my daddy, if there was a problem he could find a way to fix it. Im sure yall know how this feels. Daddys girl forever and always :)

my3kidsok- glad to here that your dads IV has completed. I've been reading this blog for several months now but your situation is the "first" that I have posted to. Your IV situation touched a nerve because I went through it myself, "misinformation" that would have been detrimental to my mom's health had I taken it (from her doctor which by the way I had changed after this incidence plus another that followed). Tired doesn't begin to describe my circumstance but given the fact that mom is still with us because of the "care" that I am providing makes a world of difference in the whole scope of things. We are still recovering after over a year of medical mismanagement, medical errors, medical neglect and overall medical incompetence so I understand completely why you would not have wanted to send your dad to rehab, been there done that! I was "forced" to send my mom to rehab not once but twice last year and it was a nightmare! I ended up practically living at the rehab centers in order to protect her from neglect, including surprise visits in the middle of the night from 11 - 4 am in the morning. Night nursing staff I found were the worst in providing care because their supervisors/management were not around to observe. I could take over the whole blog with stories and events that I have had to deal with but till now just use this site as "reassurance" that the sacrifices I am making now are something that I will always look back on as positive things I did for my family and myself and will never regret these efforts. I have spent literally 1000's of hours researching anything and everything in regards to healthcare on the internet and still continue to do so as issues come up. If you are looking at being your dads "patient advocate" the first thing I would recomend you do, if you haven't already, is get a Durable POA (power of attorney) and a medical POA so that you have "authority" to discuss and deal with his affairs concerning his health and finances. These will get you leaps ahead of any potential crisis that may come up (and they will, trust me). Do it NOW, later is too late. After that I would recommend that you immediately start researching the potential "causes" of why he may be falling (i.e. medications, blood pressure, illness related that may not as yet been diagnosed etc.) Falls are very serious for seniors and one fall can wreck havock on his overall health and put him at risk of all kinds of hospital contacted infections, experience with this one also. It sounds like we are probably located in the same area (your Home Health corp office is right down the street from me), I don't often have this much time to respond but if there is something that you are in need of information for and I have some experience in, I would be happy to pass any info along to you. One other word of advise I would give you is: if ANY medical professional you come in contact with says something like "well he is 82" or "that just happens when someone reaches his age" or "his condition because of his age is inevitable and is to be expected" DUMP THEM, immediately! They are not a medical person that you would want taking care of your dad and do NOT have his best interest in hand. Again speaking from experience...

Ps the kid , 8 yrs wow. How is it going for you? Tired im sure, whats circumstances?

Wow thank u for the info ladies, its been two weeks now and he just got off the iv today. I will definately call that number and see what i can do, i see the infection doctor fri and im sure they would sign off on it if tjere was a way for it to be covered. Just so thankful we didnt need more antibiotics ordered. The pharmacy is out of richardson and the home health company is guardian healthcare. To answer the former question i just could not bare to let himgo to a rehab nursing home. He was sooo wore out from the hospital bed and the food. I just couldnt bare it thank you again. I couldnt find the thread after i posted it!

Something else I just thought of, you can call 211 for help with your dads Medicaid program and to find out what all he qualifies for and he should have a Medicaid "coordinator" that is assigned to him that does his annual assessment. They would be the one to contact to get details of his coverage and benefits that he is qualified to receive. You didn't mention whether or not you have a Home Health agency for him or not but in Texas Medicaid is managed by two insurance agencies, Superior and Molina. They are the state benefits coordinators for the Department of Aging (DADS), you can also call DADS for assistance in understanding his Medicaid benefits and/or go to the Texas Medicaid website. And on a side note, if your dad qualifies for personal assistant hours (determined by your Medicaid coordinator), as a family member you can provide those hours/level of care and it does NOT require any special training. For some care that requires a nurse supervision, the nurse will provide the necessary training to you if needed. If you want to get paid to be his attendant you would need to sign up with a Home Health agency as an employee. There is another program where he would hire the attendent himself (in this case you) and then receive funds to pay you but I don't really know the particulars on how that one works. I speak from experience, been doing this (paid attendent) 8 years now and my mom will be 88 this year.

Medicaid WILL pay for at home administration of IV antibiotics. My mom required it and the doctor we had at the time said the same thing, that it wasn't covered. But I researched it after my mom's Home Health agency said it was an approved home treatment under certain conditions. They suggested I contact an Infusion company myself and have them submit an authorization request. The doctor will need to provide medical information as well but they can submit an initial request for a preliminary approval with minimal documentation. With my mom's case I did just that and when it came time to get medical info from the doctor (who was saying it wasn't covered) the infusion company was able to "tell" the doctor they already had the approval so they just needed the doctors medical diagnosis to complete the authorization. All of the antibiotics and IV supplies were shipped to our home and the Home Health nurse came to the house to instruct me how to administer it. We are in Texas also and I can give you the name of the Infusion company we used (which by the way was fantastic to work with). I also pulled up the Medicaid guidelines off the Internet which detailed the particulars of what all is covered. Here is info on the company we used which gives you a good starting point:coramhc/services , there are others out there but I went with this one because they were one of the largest ones and their reputation was in line with what we were looking for (i.e. since they had to tell the doctor "no you are wrong, this treatment is covered and we can prove it"). Hope this helps. Good Luck!

my3kidsok, why didn't he go to rehab for a few weeks?

Thank you! He has medicaid but he just got out of the hospital from pnemonia and terrible staff infection from the wounds. I have to administer antibiotics for two weeks and medicaid wouldnt cover that in the home. Only ina rehab nursing home. I payed 500 for one week and im doing the administering ! Next week another 500 and if he needs it longer more than that? Luckily we have some income tax but my husband is not going to be able to pay for much more. I dont know where this is going. My dad is 82 and im 41 w small children. Uggh the sandwhich generation. My world has jusy been changed.

By the way, it may not be a CNA that the program authorizes for pay. A health aide or personal care attendant or a companion -- there are other possibilities than a CNA. So it really would be good to start getting the financial aid in place and determining what they will authorize and then how to get qualified.

What kind of financial assistance is Dad looking at? Medicaid, and perhaps some other programs, can pay you to take care of Dad if you are qualified. They determine how many hours of care they will pay for, and that can be paid to someone from a participating agency or a family member. I suggest you discuss what is required with someone from the agency that will provide financial aid to cover the care. They can tell you exactly what you have to do to get qualified, and probably can direct you to sources of training.

Good luck!

CNA's have to do the coursework in a state approved school AND have a specified number of hours working under a supervising Nurse. Contact dads.state.tx.us