Since 2017, when the Center for Caregiver Advancement (CCA) and SEIU 2015 started their partnership with L.A. Care Health Plan, CCA has trained 9,222 In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) providers in six languages.
L.A. Care supports a special program administered by CCA called the IHSS+ Home Care Integration Training Program, or IHSS+. The IHSS+ is a 10-week online program that educates and empowers caregivers who provide services to seniors and persons with disabilities through the California In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program.
Their care recipients are also members of the L.A. Care Health Plan. In the training classes, IHSS caregivers learn how to take on the enhanced roles of Monitor, Communicator, Coach, Navigator, and Care Aide while developing the skills needed to be integrated into the consumers’ Care Teams.
Students Learn to Practice the Four Key Skills That Enhance Caregiving
- Observe
- Monitor
- Document
- Report
These practices help the home caregiver track and communicate their consumer’s health and behavior changes for the clinical healthcare team and other family members. Implementing these skills is integral to improving and maintaining a consumer’s health by ensuring that changes are documented over time so adjustments can be made to the consumer’s medications and care as needed.
What Caregivers and Consumers Say About the IHSS+ Training Program
Both caregivers and consumers reported post-training improvements in many aspects of the caregiving journey.
“I have learned a lot of skills in this course, but I especially liked learning how to prepare food safely and keep myself
and my recipient safe by washing hands properly.” — IHSS Caregiver & IHSS+ Graduate
“My caregiver learned which resources are available and how to safeguard my home for me. She also applies nutrition
tips, proper dressing techniques, and different ways to communicate. The care she provides was always good. Now we are just incorporating some new things [she learned] to improve things overall.” — L.A. Care Member & IHSS Consumer
A Snapshot of Trained Caregivers Who Support L.A. Care Health Plan Members
Studies by CCA and L.A. Care find that more than 88% of the IHSS caregivers assisting consumers in the L.A. Care Health Plan are women. And more than 66% of consumers are female. More than half of the consumers are aged 65 or older.
