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Talking with a professional caregiver will give you a sense of what the everyday requirements and difficulties of the job are so that you can determine if this is the right position for you. Getting the insight from someone who does the job every day can be very helpful to manage your expectations. As part of your research, you’ll want to test out if this is the right career choice for you. You can volunteer at a hospital or look for other volunteer opportunities in your area. Volunteering as a personal caregiver will also help you build your resume for future employment opportunities. A good place to start looking for volunteer opportunities is through your Area Agency on Aging. You can search the National Association for Area Agencies on Aging to find out more details on your local agency. Each state has different licensing requirements for at home caregivers. Knowing these in advance will help you determine what certification programs or degrees are a good fit for you. There are also a number of roles you can take on as a personal caregiver, such as becoming a Companion Caregiver, Home Health Aide, or Certified Nursing Aide. It would be a good idea to look into training and certification processes for these different roles. As with any kind of health care position, you’ll need to know the basics. You can take CPR courses in person or online through the American Red Cross.. While many home care agencies offer training, if you choose a different work environment, you may be responsible for your own training. There are many routes you might take to become a certified personal caregiver. If your state requires certification, there are a number of affordable online courses you can take. The Institute for Professional Care Education, for instance, offers a 40 hour certification program and cost just under a hundred dollars. You can also find a course that will prepare you to be a home health aide through the American Red Cross website. The Family Caregiver Alliance also offers courses. Even if your state does not require a degree to become a professional caregiver, becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) will give you more job options. A CNA program takes only 6 to 12 weeks.  Before entering a CNA program, you will need to have earned a high school diploma or GED.  Most community colleges offer a CNA program. You can search for programs in your area or online through the All Allied Heath Schools’ website. After completing your CNA training, you will need to take your state CNA certification exam. Usually, your CNA program will offer the certification exam. Even after passing your CNA certification exam, you will likely need to take continuing education courses. Fourty-eight hours every two years is the typical requirement for most states. You’ll fist want to decide which kind of work environment is best for you. Personal caregivers are hired for a number of places, such as nursing homes, home care agencies, families (for in home care), assisted living facilities, and so forth.  Make a list of facilities in your area that may be hiring. A good place to start is the government website for Medicare, which allows you to search for nursing homes across the U.S. The National Association for Home Care & Hospice Agency Locator is another great resource that you can use to locate your potential workplace.  You can search websites such as Indeed.com for jobs as a personal caregiver, or you can search through home care agencies such as Comfort Keepers or Senior Helpers. Consider non-agency positions where you would work for an individual directly. In some cases, a state agency may be in place to put personal caregivers in touch with people on Medicaid. See if your state has a Home Care Referral Registry.
Talk with someone in the field. Volunteer. Look up your state's certification requirements. Learn CPR. Get certified. Earn a CNA degree. Take the CNA certification exam. Search for a job.