Caregiver Trainings

For the Caregiver

The Michigan Parkinson Foundation’s (MPF) goal is to ensure that all people with Parkinson’s receive compassionate quality care. Parkinson’s is a complicated disease that can present a variety of symptoms. It’s important for caregivers to understand the various symptoms and learn how to provide aid when needed. After discussion and feedback received from stakeholders throughout Michigan, it was apparent to MPF that caregivers are not adequately prepared to care for people with Parkinson’s. To address that problem MPF developed the Parkinson Caregiver Education Program, an online training module for direct care workers who provide assistance for people with Parkinson’s. Our free training program will provide critical care information for direct care workers, family caregivers, home health aides and others who assist individuals with Parkinson’s to ensure better quality care. The entire program can be completed in under an hour.

The free training module consists of (7) five-to-ten-minute videos. Here are the topics:

Overview of Parkinson’s, what causes the disease, no cure, medication for symptoms, slow progressive.
Medication: The importance of medication administered on time; unique for each individual
Managing “freezing” and off episodes (gait freeze, transferring, bed issues, prevent suffocation)
Ensuring good nutrition, good eating practices for a person with PD, swallowing, choking hazards
Mealtime atmosphere, eliminate social isolation, maintain dignity.
Verbal communication problems: Dysarthria (soft speech, weak speech or no speech)
Managing anxiety, hallucinations, psychosis, delusions, and night terrors

The videos will be hosted free of charge on Relias Academy’s website, https://michiganparkinsonfoundation.academy.reliaslearning.com/ a platform for health care management training programs. Each training video has a quick post-test and upon viewing all videos and receiving a satisfactory score, the individual will receive a certificate acknowledging they completed the Parkinson Caregiving Training Program.

Students may view the entire program in one session or choose to view one video at a time as their schedule permits.

click to view ⇒ Relias Registration Instructions

Michigan Parkinson Foundation’s Referral List

MPF Caregiving Referral List ⇐ click to print

Relias Academy: Although the videos, post-test and the certificate are all free of charge, you do have to create an account on Relias Academy before your can access the training program. There is no charge to set up an account. For instructions on how to access the Parkinson Caregiving program on Relias, download this document https://michiganparkinsonfoundation.academy.reliaslearning.com/.

Extended Senior living and assisted living communities that require 50% of their direct care staff (nursing aides, dietary aides, and transport staff) complete the training in a six-month period will receive a certificate confirming they have successfully completed MPF’s Parkinson Caregiving Training Program. As an additional benefit, MPF will maintain a referral list of approved facilities and the company is welcome to display the certificate in their public space and use the wording of the certificate in marketing materials. If you are interested in this please contact our social worker, Stephanie Woznak, at respite@parkinsonsmi.org.

For Family Caregivers

We are happy to provide you with access to the training videos. Please e-mail our social worker, Stephanie Woznak, at stephaniew@parkinsonsmi.org, and she will send you the links to the videos. Provide your name, address, e-mail, and phone number.