Students can receive special training for vocational jobs
Vanessa Fines’ job isn’t always easy, but she is always there for her clients because of her passion for her job — sometimes even as they breathe their last breaths.
“Caregiving is emotional, but you get to see them smile,” she said.
“It is my passion to care for the elderly.”
Vanessa Fines, Student
Fines initially wanted to become a professional caregiver so she could care for the people who were important to her: her best friend who had developed Alzheimer’s disease, her 82-year-old father who moved in with her and aging members of her church.
However, she needed help in order to help them.
Fines enrolled in a vocational program through the Southern Alameda County Consortium for Adult Education at New Haven Adult School. The school’s Residential & In-Home Care Training program was a 10-week program that only cost her $250. In this program, she learned how to help individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia. She also learned other fundamentals of care, like administering medication, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, taking blood pressure and using certain types of health care machinery, such as a Hoyer Lift.
Most importantly, she learned methods of communication and empathetic care to improve her bedside manner.
“I learned how to let my clients know that no hurt, harm or danger will come to them while they are in my care,” Fines said.
When Fines saw her father gain a renewed sense of purpose after she suggested he look after her home garden, she realized her care was helping the emotional needs of her patients, not just their physical needs.
“It is my passion to care for the elderly,” she said. “I want to tell them that it is not time to give up. I want to encourage and instill into them that they still have a lot of life to live.”
Fines has also been nominated twice as “caregiver of the month” because of the care she gives her patients.
“I spend time with them,” she said. “Getting people who don’t have many loved ones left in their lives motivated to get out of the house is challenging, but rewarding.”
Eighty-four percent of students who complete the Caregiver training program at New Haven Adult School immediately find jobs with caregiving agencies, and typically start earning $15-$17 an hour. Fines found her first job one week before she even finished the program.
Fines now works for Kindred Healthcare and hopes to start her own assisted living facility one day. The New Haven Adult School health education teacher still meets with her regularly to make sure she is on track to reach that goal.
For more Information visit sacc-adulted.org.
Written by Corey Rodda
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| Bay Area California | Careers in Health Care |
