Too often, the certified nursing assistants (CNAs), personal care workers (PCWs), community health workers (CHWs) and other direct care staff who work with older adults don’t have opportunities to learn about older adults’ complex care needs and best practices.
We know that CNAs and direct care staff want continuing education and use the information to improve the care they provide. That’s why the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education (CARE) offers CARE U, free one-day workshops for direct care staff.
To reach more CNAs and direct care staff across Wisconsin, CARE developed a train-the-trainer program to prepare health educators to offer their own local CARE U workshops.
After participating in the two-day CARE U train-the-trainer, you will receive all the information, materials, and guidance to lead interactive presentations and active learning exercises on:
- Aging and vision
- Caring for people living with dementia
- Maintaining older adult mobility
- Nutrition and swallowing
- Putting the person in person-centered care
- Understanding pain
- Emergency preparedness
Please note we are currently accepting applications for the January 27 and 28 CARE U train-the-trainer in Rice Lake. We will be offering CARE U in other areas of the state in the future.
CARE U Trainers Are People Who:
- Teach or provide staff development, maybe as a nursing home staff educator, community health worker, CNA program instructor, or nursing faculty
- Are located across Wisconsin
- Have completed the two-day CARE U train-the-trainer
- Have simulation equipment and other materials to facilitate active learning exercises
- Work with other trainers in their area to offer CARE U workshops for direct care staff
Frequently asked questions for CARE U trainer applicants
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How much does it cost to become a CARE U Trainer?
Nothing! We will provide CARE U trainers with all the information, materials, and guidance to offer their own CARE U workshops for direct care staff.
What responsibilities would I have as a CARE U trainer?
As a CARE U trainer, you agree to work with us to expand educational opportunities for direct care staff in Wisconsin. You must attend the two-day CARE U train-the-trainer; work with other trainers to offer your first CARE U workshop within six months; and develop a plan to keep offering CARE U workshops, working with your employer and other local trainers.
Should I apply to become a CARE U trainer?
If you are passionate about improving older adult care, know that CNAs and other direct care staff do incredibly important work, and have experience teaching or providing staff development, you would be a great CARE U trainer! We don’t expect trainers to be experts in older adult health or professional conference organizers.
Can CNAs or other direct care staff apply to become CARE U trainers?
If you are an experienced CNA or direct care staff whose role has grown to include training or mentoring other staff, you would be a great CARE U trainer! However, most direct care staff do not train others as part of their official duties.
How do I find others in my area who also want to apply?
Talk to people at your workplace. Contact organizations that train or hire direct care staff, like hospitals, home care, or long term care organizations. Ask technical colleges, public health departments, or Aging and Disability Resource Center staff. List the names of others you find in your CARE U trainer application. (Each person needs to fill out their own CARE U trainer application.) If you don’t find others in your area, we still encourage you to apply!
Why do you ask us to find others in our area?
Our goal is for CARE U trainers to keep offering workshops for direct care staff in their area. There are a lot of CNAs, PCWs, and other direct care staff across Wisconsin who will appreciate and use this information to improve older adult care! It will be easier for you to keep offering CARE U workshops if there are other trainers nearby who are helping out.
What if I apply but then change my mind or can't make the CARE U train-the-trainer?
If your plans change after you apply to become a CARE U trainer, please contact us as soon as possible at care@son.wisc.edu or (608) 265-4330.
What happens if I become a CARE U trainer but can't keep offering local workshops?
During the CARE U train-the-trainer session, we will work with trainer teams to develop a sustainability plan. We’ll consider how you could keep offering workshops, even if someone in your trainer team moves or changes jobs. We understand that life takes unexpected turns. We’re committed to working with CARE U trainers to keep local workshops going.
Can I charge to offer CARE U workshops?
All CARE U workshops must be free to the CNAs, PCWs, CHWs, and other direct care staff who attend. However, we know that putting on workshops takes time, space, and other resources. We will discuss options for local workshops during the CARE U train-the-trainer. Our CARE U trainer manual also includes suggestions and lessons learned from the many workshops for direct care staff that CARE has organized since 2014.
Participate in CARE U
Train-the-trainer for health educators
- January 27 & 28 at Northwood Technical College, Rice Lake, WI
Workshop for direct care staff
- January 28 from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm at Northwood Technical College, Rice Lake, WI
Contact CARE with any questions at (608) 265-4330 or care@son.wisc.edu
Certified CARE U trainers
- Der-Fa Lu, Eau Claire
- Heather Moore, Grant, Iowa, Lafayette & Crawford counties
- Kim Adamovich, Eagle River
- Denise Monroe, Hudson
- Jenny Totzke, Marathon, Rock & Wood counties
- Rachel Watkins-Petersen, Appleton
- Donna Hawley, Oshkosh
- Val Madsen, Wonewoc
- Shelly Pulda, Waupun
- Katie Pickhardt, Fond du Lac
- Angie Donovan, Platteville and Dane County
- Jeanne Barr, Viroqua
- Fatou Ceesay, Madison
- Deanna Blanchard, Oregon
- Kelley Cooper, Racine
- Kizzie Bland, Brown Deer
- Samiya Allison, Brown Deer