Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others

Training for Homecare Workers

Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others is a free and active curriculum to assist trainers in meeting the health and safety training needs for homecare workers and to enhance communication between homecare workers and their clients. The activities in this curriculum are designed to encourage participants in promoting safe and healthy work environments–for their clients and for themselves.

The CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and would like to ask for your help in spreading the word about useful (and free) homecare training resources, including an award-winning safety and health curriculum available online in both English and Spanish.  The following letter , signed by OSHA and NIOSH, highlights the importance of training for homecare workers and provides links to the curriculum and other safety materials.  We encourage you to share these resources with trainers, employers, and organizations that might benefit from them and we thank you for your partnership in enhancing the safety and health of our nation's home healthcare providers.

Objective

Through this training, homecare workers learn to recognize hazards commonly encountered in homecare workplaces and apply practical solutions to manage risks and improve safety.

Materials Overview

The Homecare Workers' Handbook ( en Español ) is an easy-to-read overview of some of the topics covered in this course as well as topics that are not covered. It is a useful resource that contains practical tips for homecare worker safety. A copy of the Handbook should be provided to all participants.

The seven modules in this curriculum are designed to be flexible–use as a course or a supplement to existing training.

Click on the modules listed below to find:

• Trainer’s guides with preparation tips, suggested materials, a lesson plan, and detailed delivery instruction for each activity;
• Slide presentations to highlight key training points; and
• Participant handouts with tips, references, activity instructions, and worksheets.