Caregiver Training for Illinois adds New Requirements

The state of Illinois has refined their training requirements for in-home caregivers for seniors, by adding a few very specific training components. Illinois caregivers now may assist with a few tasks that may bump up against other licensing, for instance, they can now shampoo a client’s hair, as long as the shampoo has been medically prescribed as necessary.

Illinois passed an amendment to Administrative Code Title 77 Part 245.71 for home services caregiver training to include more topics for the year 1 training for Illinois caregivers.

Most of the changes are around clarifying wording and making sure it is clear for tasks that must only be done by skilled professionals. For example, Illinois’s new mandate now says non-medical caregivers may assist a care client with dressing, including with ordinary clothing and application of support stockings of the type that can be purchased from a healthcare professional. However, caregivers may not assist with applying an elastic bandage that can be purchased only with a prescription from a healthcare professional. It’s these types of clarifications that make a clearer line between what Illinois caregivers may assist with vs. what only qualified skilled doctors and nurses and occupational and physical therapists may do.

The amendment also requires a competency exam for a few topics – however, guess what? The Professional Association of Caregivers training provider for senior caregiver training has always provided competency exams and even goes the extra mile to provide 3 different versions with 3 different sets of questions to help caregivers truly learn and retain the information they are taught.

The Caregiver Training University provides the training for all P.A.C. members and provides tutorials on the state requirements along with outlines of the course topics. Find Caregiver training for your state’s senior home caregiver skill requirements.


How do you become a Certified Caregiver in Illinois?

Certified caregiver training in the state of Illinois was mandated by state law in 2008. Then shortly after this, an additional mandate for Alzheimer’s disease caregiver training was added. Illinois caregivers are required to annually renew training for both basic caregiving skills and dementia caregiving skills.

How do you become a professional caregiver in Illinois?

  • 8-Hour Caregiver Certification course with the basic skills for caregiving, including Elder Abuse Identification and Reporting and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) topics.
  • 6-Hour Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia training for any caregiver who will be working with seniors with memory loss. This includes learning about the different types of memory loss illnesses, as Alzheimer’s disease is just one type of dementia. As Alzheimer’s disease progresses over time, and includes forgetting person, place and time, it brings additional safety risks. The Alzheimer’s Association lobbied the state of Illinois to mandate this training which became a requirement in 2014.

Illinois reports more than 210,000 seniors suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease and projects this will grow to more than 240,000 in 2025.

Caregiver Certification
Certified Caregiver Training

Illinois Public Health Statue 410 ILCS 405 Alzheimer’s Disease Assistance Act mandates both caregiver and supervisor training for licensed senior home care agencies in the state who provide care for any seniors with dementia.

Review all Illinois Caregiver Training requirements on Caregiverlist, and purchase caregiver training for yourself or your staff.

Certified caregiver training may be taken through an online course and access to the training will be maintained for senior caregivers, allowing renewal training to easily be taken each year. Caregivers may also obtain a t-shirt and lapel pin as members of the Professional Association of Caregivers to showcase their training accomplishments.


Caregiver Stress Relief Photo-of-the-Week

Professional caregivers have the ongoing challenge of making sure to take care of their emotional needs as they care for others. Enjoy this week’s photo.

Caregiver Stress Relief
Caregiver Stress Relief Photo


Caregiver Stress Support -Nourish for the Caregiver’s Soul Free Zoom Event

Join a community of caregiver’s to be supported, inspired and to find spiritual nourishment in your caregiving with this free Zoom Event. Deb and Kelly are experienced caregivers and receive rave reviews for their Nourishment for the Caregiver’s Soul programs. Just register, click to join and sit back to absorb appreciation and inspiration. Participation tools will be available at the end for caregivers who wish to share.

Click to REGISTER

Nourish for the Caregiver's Soul
Join a Community of Caregivers for a Rewarding Hour of Spiritual Nourishment

Medication Management Device Free Give-Away

Caregivers may enter to win this free new medication manager device.

Pria Medication Management

National Caregivers Day might have been last month, but we like to celebrate caregivers year-round! As a special thank you to all caregivers, we’re giving away one Pria device with six-months free subscription. Enter for a chance to win this awesome prize HERE.

Pria by BLACK+DECKER helps ease the stress associated with caregiving and allows aging loved ones to maintain their independence while thriving in place. Pria is so much more than a medication management device. With the mobile app, you’re able to stay more connected than ever to the people you care for. In addition to medication reminders and dispensing, Pria also features two-way video calling, voice commands, reminders, check-in options and more, that were all designed to maximize quality time with loved ones.

*Enter giveaway  by 4/5/20 at 11:59 PM ET. See Official Rules for all details.

Learn more about becoming a Caregiver at Caregiverlist.


Caregiver Stress Relief Photo of the Week

Caregiver Stress Relief Photo of the Week
New Mexico sunrise for your stress relief.

Senior caregivers provide both emotional support and care for physical needs. It’s important that caregivers take time to take care of themselves. Enjoy this week’s stress relief photo.

Find caregiver training and tools for senior care on Caregiverlist.


Coronavirus Safety and Prevention Training for Senior Caregivers

Senior caregivers learn infection control training in their initial caregiver training courses. As the novel coronavirus has proven to be extremely contagious, Caregiver Training University offers specific courses for the prevention and safety for caregivers and seniors during the outbreak of the virus. Learn more at Caregiverlist.

Personal Protective Equipment for Senior Caregivers or PPE

Become a professional senior caregiver by taking an online caregiver training course meeting state requirements.

COVID-19 Virus Explained

The coronavirus causes the disease COVID-19

Coronavirus is the name of the virus that causes the disease named COVID-19. Coronavirus a novel virus, meaning it is new to humans. It has spread so quickly and easily between humans that it now is defined as a pandemic or a disease which spreads itself out over everyone in a population. Coronavirus is now a pandemic because residents of entire countries have quickly become infected.

COVID-19 Hand Washing Tips for Prevention

Effective Hand Washing Prevents the Spread of this Virus from your Hands to Face and to Others

Because coronavirus is a new virus that does not have a vaccine, prevention is the best protection and effective hand washing with soap continues to be the best way to prevent spreading the virus. Older people and people with compromised immune systems are at greater risk of getting very sick or dying.

Basic Hygiene and Infection Control

Hygiene and Infection Control

Learn how to maintain good hygiene for both the senior client and caregiver and safety to protect yourself and control infections. How to wash hands, use gloves properly, protect your face and body, and assist seniors with good daily hygiene.

Superspreaders and the Most Vulnerable

Superspreaders are People with Immune Systems that More Easily Spread a Virus

Pandemics sometimes have “superspreaders” and superspreading events. This happens because for reasons that are still not completely understood, some people’s genetics enable them to have a very high “viral load” and to shed a lot more virus than other people. They may be spreading the virus before they have full-blown symptoms and are being isolated and careful. 


Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Caregiver Training Course for Safety

Senior caregivers must be very careful to protect themselves from this virus which can be easily transmitted to seniors who are the most at risk for severe illness and death from the virus. Proper caregiver training includes training on infection control.

The #1 tip for prevention of the virus is effective handwashing. Do not touch your face (eyes, nose, mouth) and do not touch others without properly washing your hands.

Watch this Caregiver Training University Video on Effective Handwashing by Nurse Anna: 2 Minutes, 45 Seconds

Train yourself or your caregiving staff at Caregiver Training University.


Illinois Sexual Harassment Prevention Training

Illinois Employer’s Annual Sexual Harassment Training Requirement

Illinois’ Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law a requirement for sexual harassment prevention training for all employees for companies in Illinois. Here are answers to common questions about this new Illinois law.

When does the requirement go into effect? Now but enforcement will begin January 1, 2021, which just means all Illinois companies must show they are training their employees annually on how to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace by the end of this year. Training employees by December 31, 2020, meets your Jan. 1, 2021 deadline. Effective January 1, 2020, all employers must train all employees in Illinois each year. The first deadline is January 1, 2021.

What topics will the annual Illinois required sexual harassment training program include?

  • An explanation of sexual harassment
  • Examples of conduct that constitutes unlawful sexual harassment
  • A summary of federal and state statutory provisions, including remedies available to victims of sexual harassment
  • A summary of the responsibilities of employers for prevention, investigation, and corrective measures of sexual harassment.

What happens if an Illinois employer for some reason does not provide this annual sexual harassment prevention training to their employees?

Employers who do not provide compliant training will be subject to civil penalties, including a $500 penalty to businesses with less than 4 employees, or a $1,000 penalty to those with 4 or more employees. Penalties for subsequent violations can rise to $5,000 per violation.

Illinois employers can find sexual harassment prevention training through Caregiverlist’s Learning Management System, specializing in easy-to-understand training for employees with a modern tracking system for employers. Call: 312-669-8820


Georgia Caregiver Training Requirements for Senior Care

Caregivers providing daily and 24-hour care in the state of Georgia must follow the training guidelines established by the state. Senior home care agencies providing professional caregivers and individual caregivers are required to show verification of the required training curriculum.

Georgia Senior Caregiver Training Program Requirements are:

  • Companion Caregivers and Private-Duty Homemakers: Training in basic caregiving skills, including HIPPA, Elder Abuse, Safety, Infection Control, following Georgia state-approved topics for 8-hours of training within the first annual year of caregiving and renewal training consisting of an 8-hour curriculum for each following year.
  • Certified Nurse Aides: Attend and complete a state-approved Certified Nursing Aide program, meeting the minimum federal training requirement and passing the state C.N.A. certification exam. Continuing Education Units, or C.E.U.’s are required annually on refresher topics.

Spanish language Georgia caregiver training courses are available along with the initial training and annual renewal training through the Professional Association of Caregiver’s partner, Caregiverlist. This training meets the state requirements and delivers built-for-caregivers content that is smart-phone and tablet-friendly and provides a certification of achievement upon passing the exam.

Buy Training for yourself or train your staff or buy Spanish -language training to become a Georgia caregiver today.