Pro Careers, Inc., held their 2016 Annual Training Seminar on Jan. 6 at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg.
Approximately 60 direct care staff, better known as Personal Attendants, invaded the WVSOM campus to refresh on previous trainings and to gain knowledge on new topics – all geared to provide care for the aged and elderly.
The thread which ran throughout the training was PRACTICE Prophylaxis and Prevention. If caregivers can anticipate probable risks which can result in harm or injury, then interventions should aid in the prophylaxis and prevention of harm or injury. This applies to both the Personal Attendant as well as the person they provide care.
Topics included in the seminar were: Communication and Respect; Drug Policy; the new Personal Attendant Log which now concentrates on a daily Wellness Scale; First Aid; OSHA; Good Body Mechanics; Fall Potential and Prevention; Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation and Reporting; Confidentiality and HIPAA; with a focus on diagnosis which are pertinent to the aged and elderly. Two new topics were added to this year’s training: Cultural Sensitivity and Cultural Competence and Extreme Situations.
Sgt. Drew Pendleton of the Lewisburg Detachment of the WV State Police led the Extreme Situations segment of the seminar. Extreme Situations prepares health care employees or caregivers how to behave in various unsafe situations – Personal Safety. If the employee or care giver is not safe, he/she cannot assure that the person they are caring for is safe. Overall summary for this topic was to be alert at all times, focus on surroundings, remain calm, and develop a plan. If you are ever in an extreme situation relating to an unsafe scenario, “get out – call for help.”
Guest speakers for the seminar included: Christi Yates, supervisor for Adult Services and Cara Baldwin, investigator for Adult Protective Services – both employed by the Greenbrier County DHHR; Pixote McClung, physical therapist for Greenbrier Valley Physical Therapy; and Austin Midkiff, EMT with White Sulphur Springs Rescue Squad.
Pro Careers is a home maker agency which provides personal care, light housekeeping including meals and limited transportation to the aged and elderly population. The West Virginia A&D WAIVER Program is under the Bureau of Senior Services which outlines specific criteria as well as regulations and policy for administering this program.