Poway Adult School has $500K state grant to offer free caregiving classes

Poway Adult School is offering free caregiving classes to help supply a demand for care providers using funds available from a $500,000 grant.

The Home Caregiving Certification Grant awarded $485,123 to Poway Adult School by the California Department of Aging in February, said David Guzman, assistant director of career technical and adult education for Poway Unified School District.

Poway Adult School is one of 78 grantees statewide receiving funding under the CalGrows Innovation Fund to offer training and incentives for the direct care Home and Community-Based workforce.

Business partners have told Guzman that there is a high demand locally for caregivers. The state recognized the need for more caregivers and issued grants to qualified applicants, he said.

"There is a shortage of caregivers in our community," Guzman said. "There is a long list of people waiting for caregiver support but there's a void in the businesses in being able to train and hire enough caregivers."

Poway Adult School is trying to fill the gap by providing caregiver training and certification along with incentives. The school is offering to pay a state registration fee and a LiveScan fingerprinting fee for students who participate in the Home Care Aide Registry, which is a national database for caregivers. The school is also able to provide vouchers for scrub clothing and transportation, while the state is providing additional incentives for employees to complete training and remain employed in the field.

Guzman said their program has two goals. First is to help business partners get trained and certified people to enter the industry. Second is to help people who are currently at home caring for a loved one.

"They have taken on the responsibility of taking care of someone and this course will train them to safely take care of their loved ones," Guzman said. "The grant will provide training for them as well as provide additional online training that they could request."

The primary Home Caregiver Certification Course is a 7-hour class that is available online either in the morning during the week or in the evening during the week. Or students can choose to attend an in-person class one day per month on a Saturday at the Poway Adult School campus, 13626 Twin Peaks Road.

As many as 118 students have already taken the course, Guzman said. Between now and December, he projects that 460 students will participate in the courses.

"It was a positive experience for them and exceeded their expectations," he said. "They’re very appreciative of the course, the follow-on training and the incentives that come with the training."

Three other optional courses that are available to students are a CPR/First Aid course through the American Red Cross; Working with Patients through the Death and Dying Process; and Helping Elderly Parents.

An additional benefit is free caregiver kits that include First Aid kits, gait belts for use in transferring patients between a bed and a wheelchair, and other safety items.

Anyone who is age 18 years or older and lives in San Diego County can enroll in the courses, Guzman said.

"It's open to all community members," Guzman said. "They do not need previous experience in caregiving. This opportunity is for those who are interested in becoming a caregiver, are currently a caregiver or are taking care of a loved one."

For students who are looking for a career in caregiving, Guzman said they will be given a list of business partners that have job openings after the course is completed. The students are welcome to contact the businesses, but students’ personal information will not be shared by the school.

Michele Blanchard, physical therapist and community lecturer for the Home Care Aid Program, said care is sometimes provided to disabled people, seniors, and those with medical issues, among others.

Blanchard said the main course teaches students about the roles of a caregiver and how to be a non-medical home care aid. Students learn caregiver responsibilities, caregiver self care and ways to avoid injury, how to assist someone who has a special diet along with meal planning, preparation and help eating, and how to assist with the activities of daily living such as dressing, bathing, grooming and hygiene. Additional topics include fall prevention and ways to keep people safe at home, emergency preparedness, infection control, and assisting with transfers and household chores.

"We have several local business partners who have worked with us in creating our curriculum, including owners of businesses that provide these caregiver services," said Blanchard, adding that businesses are waiting to hire program graduates. "Caregivers provide care, supervision and assistance that can impact and change someone's life and their ability to stay in their own home."

Poway Adult School averages 2,500 registrations every quarter in a range of classes for adults that include art, fitness, foreign languages, parent education and music.

For more information, visit the PowayAdultSchool.com website or email Blanchard at [email protected]. Registration is now open for the free classes.