Caring for Yourself While Caring for Others
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2015-102
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 letterpdf icon, 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.
Through this training, homecare workers learn to recognize hazards commonly encountered in homecare workplaces and apply practical solutions to manage risks and improve safety.
The Homecare Workers’ Handbookpdf icon (en Españolpdf icon) 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.
- Module 1: An Introduction to Homecare Health and Safety
- Module 2: Tips for Reducing Strains, Sprains, and Falls While Doing Housekeeping and Caring for Clients
- Module 3: Tips for Reducing Risks from Environmental Exposures When Providing Homecare
- Module 4: Tips for Reducing Exposure to Bloodborne and Other Infectious Diseases
- Module 5: Tips for Staying Safe When Working with Clients with Dementia
- Module 6: Tips for Setting Healthy and Safe Boundaries to Reduce Stress
- Module 7: Tips for Safely Handling Threatening Behavior When Providing Homecare