{"id":269368,"date":"2024-08-23T20:25:55","date_gmt":"2024-08-24T03:25:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/?p=269368"},"modified":"2024-08-23T20:25:55","modified_gmt":"2024-08-24T03:25:55","slug":"california-will-pay-you-caregiver-hurry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/california-will-pay-you-caregiver-hurry\/","title":{"rendered":"California Will Pay You to Become a Caregiver, but Hurry!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As California&#8217;s population ages, the need for caregivers is increasing rapidly. Caregivers across the state have until the end of August to earn up to $6,000 by learning and applying caregiving skills through the CalGrows program.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In a media briefing on August 14, hosted by <a href=\"https:\/\/ethnicmediaservices.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ethnic Media Services<\/a>, a panel of experts discuss this initiative, managed by the California Department of Aging, which offers free classes through September 30. It also can be taken online or in-person, depending on one\u2019s preference. However, to get that $6,000, they must register by August 31st.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Speakers<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-269370 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/08-14-24-caregivers-lastchance-speakers.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"392\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/08-14-24-caregivers-lastchance-speakers.jpg 800w, https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/08-14-24-caregivers-lastchance-speakers-300x147.jpg 300w, https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/08-14-24-caregivers-lastchance-speakers-150x74.jpg 150w, https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/08-14-24-caregivers-lastchance-speakers-768x376.jpg 768w, https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/08-14-24-caregivers-lastchance-speakers-672x329.jpg 672w, https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/08-14-24-caregivers-lastchance-speakers-400x196.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Connie Nakano<\/b>, Assistant Director, Office of Communications, California Department of Aging<\/li>\n<li><b>Lidia Mawalu<\/b>, Fijian caregiver and CalGrows trainee in Monterey County (not pictured)<\/li>\n<li><b>Corrina Rucka<\/b>, elderly client of Lidia Mawalu (not pictured)<\/li>\n<li><b>Carmen Contreras<\/b>, CalGrows trainee (not pictured)<\/li>\n<li><b>Sean Hidalgo<\/b>, Classes Manager, ACC Senior Services<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><b>What is CalGrows<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Over the next decade, at least 10 million Californians will be over the age of 60.<\/p>\n<p>California is already running short (about 3.2 million caregivers short), leading to serious issues such as long wait times and social isolation for older adults who require care the most.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the high demand for care, \u201cThe program is tied to state funding that is expiring, so jump on this opportunity now,\u201d said Connie Nakano. \u201cTime is of the essence \u2026 You\u2019re not only advancing your career, but also positively impact the lives of countless people in your community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The are over 600 courses, available to you in nine languages. They can range in duration from five-minute units to five-hour series. These courses are available in various formats, including in-person, online, live, and self-paced, covering topics such as CPR, dementia care, older adult nutrition, and older adult mental health.<\/p>\n<p>Approximately 14,000 caregivers statewide have already completed a collective 89,000 courses receiving a payout of about $7 million all together. California\u2019s nearly five million caregivers contribute about four billion collective hours annually to help their family and friends, a contribution valued at $63 billion each year.<\/p>\n<p>This program is valuable for a typically underpaid sector of the health care industry. One in four direct care workers end up falling below the poverty line. In average, they make $20,000 a year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCaregiving isn\u2019t one-dimensional, it isn\u2019t just in a nursing facility or in-home. There\u2019s care for all aspects of how people choose to age,\u201d said Nakano. \u201cThat\u2019s the purpose of CalGrows, to have a trained support system for everyone to choose how they\u2019d like to age in place.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><b>Caregivers Share Their Stories<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cCalGrows taught me, medically, what\u2019s happening inside the seniors that cross my path, and how it affects their needs in daily life,\u201d said Lidia Mawalu.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt helped me with practical, physical preventive care at home \u2014 for example, nutrition, not falling, preparing blood pressure medication and cleaning catheters,\u201d she continued. \u201cI understood what I need to do to help the person\u2019s life enjoyable, which is different with each person, even each day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBack in Fiji, we grow up in extended families, so we fit caregiving into our school days and weekends. It\u2019s an inbuilt thing in us, that as our population ages, we bring home to them, because the time given to them is so precious until the end of life,\u201d Mawalu explained.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy previous client used to tell me, \u2018Do not grow old.\u2019 and I\u2019d say \u2018Is there any other way out of old age?\u2019 It was her funny way of telling me, \u2018Let\u2019s keep going in a positive way.\u2019 And these courses have made me love the work of doing that for our elderly people,\u201d she added. \u201c\u2018Bula\u2019 in our language means \u2018life,\u2019 and in the mornings Corrina and I call to each other, \u2018bula,\u2019 \u2018bula\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019If I didn\u2019t have Lydia there in the mornings, It would be very difficult, because as soon as I wake up, she\u2019s there, and she\u2019s asking me if I need anything, and she\u2019s excellent. She\u2019s very aware of my needs,\u201d said Corrina Rucka. \u201cShe\u2019ll ask and gauge how I\u2019m feeling, and suggest things to do that day depending on that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI put myself in her shoes,\u201d added Mawalu. \u201cWe remind each other, \u2018Have you drunk your water?\u2019 Care is a mutual relationship, helping each other through life. We do it together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOften, patients \u2014 especially those new to the illnesses they experience, or who don\u2019t understand the doctors\u2019 language \u2014 just need someone to be there and explain, step by step, everything they need to have the best quality of life that they can,\u201d said Carmen Contreras.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy father recently suffered a stroke, and with all the care and joy our family has given him, he\u2019s about 90% recovered,\u201d she continued. \u201cGoing through it together, our relationship of care changed. Now he depends on me a little more versus me always depending on him to move forward \u2026 With graduating, I feel more prepared to help him now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>CalGrows graduates can receive an HHA or Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) certificate, which can be renewed by continuing education.<\/p>\n<p>This professional advancement is crucial given the low retention rate of caregivers in California. Over 21% of caregivers leave the field each year, with 40% transitioning out of the workforce and around 22% being unemployed when they leave.<\/p>\n<p>As a certificate graduate, Contreras explained, \u201cNow you can work in a hospital, maybe as a radiologist or phlebotomist, or as the requirement for Licensed Vocational Nurse or Registered Nurse programs. It opens up so many life-changing career paths to touch so many lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWorking in a community setting, one class that really stuck with me was about symptoms in the process of aging, because not everyone ages the same or has the same needs in their life stages,\u201d said Sean Hidalgo.<\/p>\n<p>As the CalGrows program approaches its end, Hidalgo noted that the past few weeks at ACC have seen \u201ca huge influx of people signing up for classes, whereas before I was the one registering everybody. We\u2019ve been doing outreach to boost numbers, mainly with in-person presentations at other community centers and distributing flyers throughout the city in different languages.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat stands out to me the most is how flexible and accessible classes are, given the amount of skills you can learn for free and the money you can earn for it, and the fact that you\u2019re able to better serve your loved ones as a result,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Caregivers can sign up for the program online at <a href=\"http:\/\/CalGROWS.org\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">CalGROWS.org<\/a>, by phone at (888) 991-7234, or by email at <a href=\"mailto:help@calgrows.org\">help@calgrows.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As California&#8217;s population ages, the need for caregivers is increasing rapidly. Caregivers across the state have until the end of August to earn up to $6,000 by learning and applying caregiving skills through the CalGrows program.\u00a0 In a media briefing on August 14, hosted by Ethnic Media Services, a panel of experts discuss this initiative,&#8230;<\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/california-will-pay-you-caregiver-hurry\/\">Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":269371,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[63954,19],"tags":[63998,63227,15126,56248,42981,63999,64002,64001,5209,5210,64000,63997],"class_list":["post-269368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ethnic-media-services","category-topics","tag-acc-senior-services","tag-calgrows","tag-california-2","tag-california-department-of-aging","tag-caregivers","tag-carmen-contreras","tag-connie-nakano","tag-corrina-rucka","tag-ems","tag-ethnic-media-services","tag-lidia-mawalu","tag-sean-hidalgo"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=269368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269368\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/269371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=269368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=269368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=269368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}