I take care of my mom full time. Where can I take courses to provide excellent care for my mom?
I am getting re-certified this weekend in CPR. I want to know and learn more how to provide all I need, as I help my mom out on a daily basis. Can you recommend where I can take courses to make me better qualified. Thank you.
Here in St. Louis our local community colleges offer continuing education classes that are not for credit. When I used to peruse their catalog that they'd send out I'd see classes in care giving. You might want to try your local community colleges for classes. Although if you're in a hurry you may have to wait. Many of these classes are only offered every quarter and will fold if enough people don't register.
I would also recommend Youtube videos on tasks such as toileting, ambulation, physical therapy, etc.
And finally, maybe you can find a book or a text online. Amazon perhaps? Because the Baby Boomers are reaching old age, care giving is an obligation undertaken by tens if not hundreds of millions of families right now. I would expect there to be some books out there that can guide you. Good luck!
I think it would be fantastic if hospitals, rehabs, community colleges or medical centers would offer caregiving classes! I’ve mentioned this before in this site and one of these days I’m going to send a letter to the 2 “biggies” in my city, The Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University Hospital and ask them to consider it.
Most of us who caregive learned by the seat of our pants. I watched the aides in my husband’s rehab; how they turned him, how they got him up, how they spoke to him—what words they used to get him to do things for himself, how they changed the bed with him in it. He had a super fantastic aide, Anya, who would make an incredible instructor at one of these classes.
First aid and CPR classes are great, but newbies need to learn how to do the day to day stuff, not to mention how to handle the stress and anger that often comes with caregiving. I guess we could always take STNA classes but most of those deal with rules and regulations and we don’t need those.
Open communication with her doctor and their staff and membership in a support group if you can find one helps. So does therapy if you get to the point you want to pick up the refrigerator and throw it through the wall...but I pray you never get to that point.
This site is the best support I have found. This and YouTube videos on how to change beds and give bed baths.
Homewardbound, excellent idea about the CPR and wanting to take classes for caregiving. Check your local community college to see if they offer such courses in caregiving. If you are a senior citizen yourself, some community colleges offer courses for free.
Otherwise, check on the Internet for "caregiving classes" and add your zip code. Hopefully there will be a school nearby.
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I would also recommend Youtube videos on tasks such as toileting, ambulation, physical therapy, etc.
And finally, maybe you can find a book or a text online. Amazon perhaps? Because the Baby Boomers are reaching old age, care giving is an obligation undertaken by tens if not hundreds of millions of families right now. I would expect there to be some books out there that can guide you. Good luck!
Most of us who caregive learned by the seat of our pants. I watched the aides in my husband’s rehab; how they turned him, how they got him up, how they spoke to him—what words they used to get him to do things for himself, how they changed the bed with him in it. He had a super fantastic aide, Anya, who would make an incredible instructor at one of these classes.
First aid and CPR classes are great, but newbies need to learn how to do the day to day stuff, not to mention how to handle the stress and anger that often comes with caregiving. I guess we could always take STNA classes but most of those deal with rules and regulations and we don’t need those.
Open communication with her doctor and their staff and membership in a support group if you can find one helps. So does therapy if you get to the point you want to pick up the refrigerator and throw it through the wall...but I pray you never get to that point.
This site is the best support I have found. This and YouTube videos on how to change beds and give bed baths.
Many good wishes to you and your mom!
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Otherwise, check on the Internet for "caregiving classes" and add your zip code. Hopefully there will be a school nearby.