Our Training Makes the Difference

To maximize efficiency, some home care organizations rely on remote video- or Zoom-driven caregiver trainings. At the HomeCare Advocacy Network (HCAN) we know there’s a better way.

Training Makes the Difference

“We believe the difference between a good caregiver and a great caregiver is training,” said Sierra Goetz, co-founder and operations manger at HCAN. “That’s why we provide all of our caregivers with a world-class, hands-on experience before they start working with clients as well as on-going training opportunities to help them remain at the top of their game.”

When you choose to work with HCAN, you can be confident that your aging loved ones’ caregivers have successfully completed extensive training and are prepared to deliver consistent, compassionate care.

Our in-person, hands-on training includes:

Understanding aging activities.

Designed to help caregivers understand the challenges aging, we ask them to complete activities with cotton balls in their ears (dulls hearing loss), drop kernels of popcorn in the shoes (mimics arthritis in feet), put on two pairs of colored glasses (black dots for macular degeneration and yellow dots for cataracts) and put on heavy gloves with cotton balls in each fingertip and a popsicle stick in one finger (to experience neuropathy and arthritis in the hands).

Personal Care.

Our caregivers practice a number of services that will prepare them to help clients with mobility (gait belt, cane, walker or wheelchair), toileting, showering, oral care, shaving, dressing, safe transfer, fall prevention and more.

Dementia care.

Instead of relying on the traditional model that other home care organizations use, we teach from the Embrace Their Reality model for dementia care. Developed by dementia expert Rachel Wonderlin, this method encourages people to stop the black and white approach to “lying” and start living in the reality that is true for the person living with dementia. 

Hospice care.

End of life care is never easy – for anyone. We train our caregivers to support hospice nurses and provide compassionate care to our clients and their families – being fully present in their time of need.

“We also have a shadow program for inexperienced caregivers and caregivers who want to work with specialty clients, like those with dementia, post-surgical or hospice needs” Goetz said. “We’ve found that our shadow program is a great way to help these caregivers feel comfortable and confident in the care they provide.”

Ongoing Training

At HCAN, we encourage our team members to take advantage of ongoing training opportunities, including our Family and Friends Dementia Education class. Developed in-house, the training is designed to help people better understand the disease and learn how to cope with the challenges. The two-hour session is free and open to everyone.

For more information about our caregiver training, employment opportunities or the Family and Friends Dementia Education class, visit hcanthrive.com or call your local HCAN-supported office.