P.A.C FAQ’s

Certified Caregiver Training Questions

  1. What are the basic caregiver training requirements?
    Caregiver training varies by state but the basic caregiver training by Caregiver Training University meets the requirements in many states and includes the caregiving skills a beginning caregiver should possess in addition to providing training on HIPAA and Elder Abuse and Medication Monitoring.
  1. How much does it cost to take a Certified Nursing Aide course?
    The cost varies from $400 to $4,000.  Students may receive a state grant or scholarship.  Some companies, such as nursing homes, will offer money towards your C.N.A. school tuition if you stay employed with them for a minimum amount of time.  Always connect to the C.N.A. school admission’s office to learn about available financial aide.  Find C.N.A. schools in your area and request information.Insider’s Guide to Becoming a C.N.A.
  2. Does the Certified Caregiver Basic Training, powered by Caregiver Training University (CTU) meet the certification requirements for caregivers in my state?
    Some states in the U.S.A. have not passed legislation to legally require certain caregiver training and a few states, such as Washington state and New Jersey, have more training requirements.  Washington state, for example, require 75 hours of training which is almost as much training as is required for a Certified Nursing Aide (120 hours).Review the Caregiver Training directory to find out the required caregiver training hours in your state. The basic caregiver training course meets the standards outlined by the senior home care industry and also meets the standards established in many states.
  3. How would the company I work for or the company I want to apply for a job with know that I am a certified caregiver after passing the training exam?
    You will have a certificate you may print out once you passed the caregiver training exam which you may show them and the company may also confirm you passed the caregiver training exam by checking the certified caregiver registry. You will maintain the log-in and password for yourCTU account and can always print the certificate again if you should lose it.
  1. Do I have to pay to take the training again if I do not pass it the first time?

No, you may take the course again if you do not successfully score 75% the first time.

  1. How do I get the certificate after I pass the training?
    Just log-in to your training account and print the certificate anytime you might need it. Go to: www.caregivertraininguniversity.com
  2. What if I fail the caregiver training exam?
    Just take it again – you will be able to review the sections where you answered a question wrong and you can also watch your progress with the live scorecard as you take the caregiver trainingexam.

Career Center (Caregiver/C.N.A. Jobs) Questions

  1. How does one apply for a senior caregiver or certified nursing aide job?
    Senior care companies hire new employees each week, in order to keep up with client care needs.  Senior care needs usually begin quickly, as few seniors plan ahead for senior care.  As each week seniors are newly discharged from the hospital after a hip-replacement, stroke, heart attack or perhaps are diagnosed with an age-related disease, such as Alzheimer’s Disease or Parkinson’s Disease, senior care services are immediately initiated.   Care services may be part-time during the week or just on the weekends or evenings or 24-hour live-in care.  Nursing homes and hospitals must maintain a minimum staff level of Certified Nursing Aides at all times and are always hiring C.N.A.’s for their day, night and evening shifts.  Some long-term care insurance companies require the in-home caregivers to be C.N.A.’s.  Senior care companies subscribe to Caregiverlist’s hiring platform – Caregiverlist was founded by senior care professionals, including a founder of a senior home care agency, and she found job boards to be extremely time-consuming for both companies and caregivers and to leave out important first-view hiring criteria.  Caregiverlist was the first custom senior care hiring portal for the industry and make the process easier for both senior care companies and caregivers and nursing aides.  Caregivers submit 1 Job Application and are connected with multiple senior care companies in their area.  Caregivers no longer have to submit a different job application to several companies to be hired  – submit 1 and done!  Caregivers are more quickly hired through Caregiverlist as companies can match applicants to their openings, bulk e-mail new openings out to a database of more than 10,000 caregivers in their area and quickly validate certifications in their state registry.
  2. Who are the hiring companies?
    Only professionally licensed companies meeting Caregiverlist’s quality standards qualify to subscribe to the Caregiverlist® hiring platform.  As we “care for the caregiver”, we want caregivers to receive employment benefits, including social security retirement benefits, unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation insurance and performance bonuses.  Usually additional health insurance and disability insurance benefits are offered by the leading senior care companies subscribing to Caregiverlist’s services.  Professional caregivers are hired as employees, receiving all the payroll taxes and benefits required by law.  Senior home care agencies protect both the caregiver and the senior.  Assisted Living communities, hospitals and nursing homes also hire nursing aides and caregivers as employees.  Visit Career Center.
  3. How long will it take to be hired?
    The hiring process can be quick, with a company contacting you the same day you submit the job application.  One of the advantages of “The Caregiverlist®”, is the ability for companies to maintain an ongoing database of professional caregivers in their area.  As senior care presents the unique challenge of needing to quickly staff new professional caregivers as seniors are quickly discharged from the hospital or when family members need additional assistance, more seniors are choosing to age-in-place in their home and at the same time, nursing homes, hospitals and assisted living communities must staff a minimum level of Certified Nusing Aides at all times.  To keep up with staffing for both day shifts and night shifts, along with the increased needs for senior care, senior care companies are constantly hiring.  Senior care has been predicted to be the #1 employer in the coming decade.  If you are not hired within 30 days, you may submit another job application to be at the top of “the Caregiverlist®”.Refer-a-Friend to a Senior Caregiving Job

    Apply to a Senior Caregiver Companion Care or Nursing Aide Job:  Career Center

  4. What are the steps in the hiring process to be offered a professional caregiving job?
    Usually, senior care companies will first contact you to confirm the must-have criteria for their open positions which are such items as: schedule availability, certified training, driver’s license if required to drive the senior, ability to pass the criminal background check and any other specific criteria for their new openings.  Then they will invite you to their office for an interview, check your personal and business references and have you fill out their employment application which will include a disclosure form to run a criminal background check and sometimes a driving record check.  Personal and business references are required.  Large senior care companies hiring 6 to 10 new caregivers and aides each week may just automatically schedule you for an interview.  Once all employment application criteria has been completed, usually you are invited in for a 2nd interview which will include the company’s orientation training.  Then you will be given your first senior to care for and if it is not a perfect match and schedule, hold tight, as somehow you will always find the perfect client to care for as the senior care company better learns your personality and skills.Review Caregiver Job Description

    Apply to Senior Care Job

  5. What information is included in a background check?
    Criminal background checks go back 7 years and include verification your name and address are a match to your Social Security number (you are who you say you are) and includes any criminal convictions.  Some states do allow background checks to go back for more than 7 years if an employee will be working with children or seniors.  Always be honest to your employer in the job application as this is what they are looking for – some people may have made mistakes when they were young and this is why the 7-year look-back for criminal charges is just 7 years.  Some states, such as Florida and Illinois, also have created health-care worker registries that require all professional caregivers to complete a fingerprint and background check conducted through state-approved centers.  Any negligent behavior of a worker is also reported to these health-care worker registries.Review FCRA law governing background checks by employers.

    Review state background check laws.

  6. How much money are professional caregivers paid?
    Caregivers usually start around $10.00 per hour and the pay rate varies by geography as the cost of living is less in Alabama and more in New York City.  Companion caregivers may start from $8.00 per hour to $10.00 per hour and Live-in Caregivers who spend  a few days at a time at a senior’s home, sleeping at night, are usually paid a daily stipend between $120 to $150 per day and receive meals.   Caregivers are paid the minimum wage and above in markets where the minimum wage is higher than $10.00 per hour. Over-time pay is provided when a caregiver works more than 40-hours per week.Review caregiver pay.
  7. What is the difference between hourly and live-in caregiving jobs?
    Hourly caregivers are paid by the hour and paid overtime when they work more than 40 hours per week.  Live-in caregivers stay over-night with the senior for a few days in a row and must be able to sleep at night and receive meals and are paid a daily stipend.  A live-in caregiver will have down-time in the evening.  When a senior’s care requires the caregiver to be awake at night, then the senior receives 24-hour care with a different caregiver for the day and night, each required to be awake and paid hourly pay.
  8. What benefits do senior care companies provide for caregiver employees?
    Employment payroll benefits such as unemployment insurance, social security insurance, worker’s compensation insurance, health insurance and bonuses and incentives.  Many companies have additional benefits such as retirement plans, vacation days and special “Care for the Caregiver” days.  Go to Career Center.
  9. Must I be legal to work in the U.S.A. to work for a senior care company and apply for a job?
    Yes.  Review caregiver employment I-9 form requirements.
  10. How long does it take to fill out the Caregiver Job Application?
    Just 5 to 10 minutes but we do advise writing a nice paragraph about your experiences in senior care to make your application stand out and creating a resume to attach.  Create a caregiver resume and apply for a job.
  11. What if no employers contact me?
    You are welcome to reapply after 30 days and your new application will be connected with your previous application as employers like to view your history.  Remember to take the time to write about your caregiving experiences to make your application stand out as the “Experiences” box is part of the caregiver job application.  You should also create a resume customized for senior care.Go to Job Application

Certified Caregiver Training Questions

  1. What are the qualifications to be a professional senior caregiver?
    Anyone with a compassionate personality, who is understanding of age-related issues and has at least personal experience assisting a senior along with a track record of dependability and trustworthiness qualifies to begin a career as a companion caregiver for seniors.  Senior care companies provide training for their employees.  Some states in the U.S.A. now mandate a minimum level and category of caregiver training.  Certified Nursing Aides or Assistants, called C.N.A.’s must complete a state-approved C.N.A. training course and pass the state C.N.A. exam to become a C.N.A.  Some states have also provided new titles for trained caregivers such as Certified Home Health Aide or Certified Direct Care Worker.  The Caregiver Training University Basic Training provides the foundation for caregiving skills and meets the training requirements in many states. The Professional Association of Caregivers provides training and more for professional caregivers.
  2. What training is required for a senior caregiver?
    Basic caregiving skills are desired and some states require 5 to 8 hours or more of training.  A few states, such as Washington and New Jersey, have specific training for senior home caregivers and New Jersey calls this position Certified Home Health Aides.Review the caregiver training required in your state.

    Purchase Basic Caregiver Training

  3. How many hours of training are required to become a Certified Nursing Aide?
    Certified Nursing Aides, or C.N.A.’s, must complete a state-approved nurse’s aide training course and pass their state C.N.A. exam.  Usually the C.N.A. course is 120 hours.  Find C.N.A. schools in your state to view the hours required and take a practice C.N.A. exam or a freesample C.N.A. exam to learn the skills taught to C.N.A.’s.
  4. What’s the difference between a Certified Nursing Aide, Certified Nursing Assistant and Certified Home Health Aide?
    Certified Nursing Aides and Assistants are the same, and are also referred to as C.N.A.’s.  A Certified Home Health Aide is a term used in certain states such as New Jersey and refers to trained aides working in the home.  Home care requires slightly different skills and recording of daily care plan notes and coordination with a care manager who you do not see each day and because of this, separate training sometimes is required by certain state departments of health.  Meet the nurse who helped create certified nursing aide training:  Genevieve Gipson, R.N.
  5. What are the basic caregiver training requirements?
    Caregiver training varies by state but the basic caregiver training by Caregiver Training University meets the requirements in many states and includes the caregiving skills a beginning caregiver should possess in addition to providing training on HIPAA and Elder Abuse and Medication Monitoring.Review caregiver certification training

    Find state caregiver training requirements

    Buy basic caregiver training