The National Caregiver Training Program, sponsored by Boulder County Area Agency on Aging, is an 18-hour course designed to help family caregivers learn the practical skills required for providing safe, confident care for frail older loved ones. Hundreds of family caregivers have taken the course, and their comments about it include, “Thank you! I took the NCTP last year, and it has been invaluable … My mother recently had a stroke, and the class made taking care of her that much easier. I just feel like I had a real leg up.”
The National Caregiver Training Program is taught by a registered nurse with many years of home care experience. The course provides detailed instruction, demonstration, and hands-on practice of skills including caring for someone on bedrest, providing personal care, using a wheelchair safely, managing medications, taking vital signs, controlling infection, preventing falls, and more— all in a fun, no-pressure setting. Each participant receives resource information, helpful handouts, and the book Quick Tips for Caregivers, a home reference guide.
The course is on Thursdays, July 20 – August 31, 1:30 – 4:30 p.m., in Boulder. It is open to Boulder County residents caring for a relative, partner, or friend who is age 60 or older, or of any age if the person has dementia. There is no charge for the course, though donations are welcome. Financial assistance for respite care (substitute elder care during class sessions) is available. Pre-registration is required, at 303-678-6116 or InfoCaregiver@bouldercounty.org
Learning essential skills can enhance the care you provide to your loved one, and it can help you feel more comfortable as a caregiver. Register today!
~ Emily Cooper, Information and Referral Specialist, Caregiver Programs, Boulder County Area Agency on Aging. For more information on BCAAA caregiver services, call 303- 678-6116 or email InfoCaregiver@bouldercounty.org/.