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Must be 16? How Low are Assisted Living Employment Standards?

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National Center for Assisted Living, 2013 Review – Alarming!

According to the National Center for Assisted Living, 2013 Review, the care provider state licensing requirements in one state are: “Care providers in non-supervisory roles must be at least 16 years of age. Care providers without supervisory care must be at least 18 years of age. And, caregivers who are 21 may supervise other care providers.”

No education requirements? No background checks? No training requirements? But, surely, if these 16 year olds are dealing with Alzheimer’s disease patients, they must be trained, right? Not according to the National Center for Assisted Living. For this same state, “Staff Training for Alzheimer’s Care:  None specified.”

One issue is that each state has its own licensing requirements, and they can range widely. Overall, the standards are low, the training weak, and it shows in the level of care seniors are receiving in assisted living centers. Across long term senior facilities, a full 95% of seniors report that they have been, or they have seen another resident, abused by a caregiver.

Between now and 2030, 10,000 Baby Boomers will reach retirement EVERY DAY. The number of seniors needing assisted living care is exploding, while at the same time there is a shortage of caregivers. Under-educated. Under-trained. Under-paid.  How do you know your aging loved one is getting the care they need and deserve?

Thankfully, a new senior care service emerged in 2014 – senior care auditing. Founded by Rhonda Harper, CEO, Penrose Senior Care Auditors® and PenroseCertified®, senior care auditors visit seniors wherever they live, conduct a proprietary 7-Factor Audit™, and report back to clients (generally the adult child) through a private online Senior Audit and Client Report Center.

“PenroseCertified® – Senior Care Auditors Certified to be the Best, is not only our tagline, but our mission. We thoroughly background check, train and educate, certify, and give ongoing education for senior care auditors to make sure they are the best,” says Harper. “We have also set the pricing as low as $40 per visit, to make it affordable for almost everyone.”

Find out about the licensing standards in your state here.

penroseseniorcareauditors.com – to find out more about engaging our services.

www.penrosecertified.com – to apply to become a PenroseCertified® senior care auditor.

 

 

Caregiver Burn Out?

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50% of Professional Caregivers Admit Abusing Those in Their Care – But It Doesn’t Stop There

Many nonprofessional caregivers—spouses, adult children, other relatives and friends—find taking care of an elder to be satisfying and enriching. But the responsibilities and demands of elder caregiving, which escalate as the elder’s condition deteriorates, can also be extremely stressful. The stress of elder care can lead to mental and physical health problems that make caregivers burned out, impatient, and unable to keep from lashing out against elders in their care.

Among caregivers, significant risk factors for elder abuse are:

  • Inability to cope with stress (lack of resilience)
  • Depression, which is common among caregivers
  • Lack of support from other potential caregivers
  • The caregiver’s perception that taking care of the elder is burdensome and without psychological reward
  • Substance abuse

Even caregivers in institutional settings can experience stress at levels that lead to elder abuse. Nursing home staff may be prone to elder abuse if they lack training, have too many responsibilities, are unsuited to caregiving, or work under poor conditions.

There are many agencies and organizations that can help reduce your burden and stress. Click here for more information:  Info.