L.A. Care Offers Caregiver Training to In-Home Supportive Services Workers

Helping Caregivers Find Balance

Since 2017, L.A. Care has offered IHSS+, a training program for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) workers. The 10-week training program educates and empowers caregivers for seniors and persons with disabilities. The program covers practical skills such as CPR, first aid, infection control, nutrition, body mechanics, and more. 

Caregivers, who are often family members with no real training, learn how to balance the multiple roles they play, and the training helps caregivers to become integrated into the recipient’s care team. Classes are offered in English, Spanish, Armenian, Cantonese, Korean, and Mandarin.

Caregivers who complete the program report feeling less stressed, lonely, and depressed after the training. They have a cohort of classmates experiencing the same things as them. Graduations are joyous events, with family and friends cheering on the caregivers’ accomplishments. Caregivers also report greater confidence in talking to the recipient’s care team. L.A. Care’s analysis has also shown that the training has reduced hospital admissions and visits to the emergency room by members who have a trained caregiver.

“Home caregivers carry enormous responsibilities, and this training has provided tools that are improving our members’ well-being at home,” said L.A. Care CEO John Baackes. “We are especially gratified that the trainees have become part of the larger care team for our members.”

L.A. Care has committed $27 million to the program through mid-2026, with more than 6,300 caregivers having graduated from the program to date.