Caregiving has become a profession, and like all professions, regulations have followed by state governments. The regulations provide guidelines for companies and individual caregivers to follow in an effort to maintain quality standards and safety for both the caregivers and the senior. And, of course, the state governments also collect fees to manage and enforce their regulations.

More and more states are passing legislation to require caregiver training as more than 10,000 Americans turn age 65 daily. The national home caregiving association created a baseline for caregiver training requirements and worked with their association members in each state to present legislation requiring training and licensing. Some state governments passed legislation outlining specific requirements for caregiver training while other states just said training is required. Meanwhile some states still have legislation pending.

What caregiver training is now required (as of August 2016) in each state?

Basic caregiver training skills are a standard requirement by licensed senior care companies, including national corporations and franchise companies with locations nationwide. If the state the senior care company operates in also requires training, then the company must follow the state’s training laws.

California: just passed Assembly Bill 1217 requiring 10 hours of caregiver training for new caregivers and 5 hours of annual training: first 5 hours include 2 hours of Orientation Training and 3 hours of Safety Training and the 5 hours of annual training can be in Core Competency skills.

Review the professional senior caregiver training laws in your state and purchase online caregiver training to become a certified senior caregiver.