The WHY behind starting a new endeavor.

The beginning of a student’s journey is exciting. The feeling of the impelling anticipation of stepping onto a new road is simply enticing. A magical feeling of endless possibility overwhelms them when they finally obtain clarity of how they want to make their presence purposeful in this world. Although, no one ever emphasizes the not-so-magical parts of the journey that a student encounters.

When we first embark on a new journey, we can become so fixated on the end goal. The eye inside our minds can see the finish line. We even start to visualize ourselves after we have arrived at the destination. The sensation of meaningful work seeps into every part of our being as we dream of the end goal. We can feel the victory and the accomplishment of being done with the hard work.

Oftentimes, we forget about the contents in between.

We often overlook the contents of what is in between the start line and the finish line. We overlook the feelings, the questions, and the thoughts that run through our minds when we are on the clock as a student. Even the same feelings, questions, and thoughts bleed into our minds when we are off the clock. We naturally become overwhelmed with thoughts like:

“What did I get myself into? What if I am not good enough to do this? What if I am not meant for this? I feel so unprepared. Did I study enough? What if I am not qualified to do this? Will I fit in? What if I don’t pass the exam? Am I wasting my time? Is there another profession that suits me better?”

Our job as a student is to stay present.

We often get raided and de-railed with these thoughts. What we don’t realize at the moment is that these thoughts carry us into the future that has not even happened yet and these questions are based on past experiences that no longer exist. No one ever guaranteed an easy road. However, our job as a student is to be present and to simply live in the now. This is the best way to absorb the teachings and observe our teacher. We cannot master our craft if we are spending the time we are on the clock as a student somewhere else. Yes, this statement is obvious when we refer to being physically somewhere else, but in this case a student is not able to master the craft to the best of their ability if they are mentally absent.

Trust yourself. You are exactly right where you are supposed to be.

If you find yourself anxious and overwhelmed with thoughts similar to these, ask yourself this:

• Am I doing my best?
• Am I making the most out of what I can control?
• Am I trusting the process?

What you are going through right now is part of your experience. It is part of the journey to becoming a master of your craft. Do not be afraid, do not be anxious, do not worry. You are doing your best and making the most out of what you can control. Trust yourself and trust the uncontrolled forces that are pushing you and helping you on this journey to improvement.

Assisted Living Training School offers personalized caregiver and assisted living manager certification programs in Arizona! Complete this form to learn more!

Take a Break

You may have fewer responsibilities these days, but seniors today are more active than ever. Even though being engaged with life is healthy, we all need a break from time to time. One of the best ways to take a break is to disconnect from “real” life by going on a vacation. With travel not advisable for seniors during the pandemic, a safer alternative is to take a “staycation.”

How do you take a vacation without traveling? One answer is to rent a home near your home town or city. Renting a home makes it easier to take your mind off of obligations and focus on fun and relaxation.

Learn Something New

You’ve probably heard the phrase “use it or lose it” sometime in your life. This could be said for strength, but for older adults, it also applies to cognitive function. We use our brains for everyday tasks, but we also need to stretch our brains by learning. Many seniors feel self-conscious about trying new things, but the truth is that lack of self-confidence is the main thing standing in your way. According to Scientific American, researchers found that seniors who engaged in active learning, such as learning a language, how to use new technology, or how to draw or paint, experienced increased cognitive abilities.

You may not think of learning as self-care, but this doesn’t mean sitting in a college classroom. Simply choosing a new activity you would enjoy can be fun, rewarding, and helps your brain stay healthier as you age. If you’re on a budget, activities like genealogy, bird watching, and taking all sorts of classes can be incredibly affordable.

Find Your “Fit” in Fitness

Finding your “fit” in fitness isn’t about toning up. Instead, it’s about finding a way that fitness can work for you. Being active is the ultimate self-care practice because of how beneficial it is for your physical and mental health. However, for many seniors, being active isn’t as easy as throwing on some sneakers for a run. The good news is you can still reap the benefits of exercise at home by choosing a few good workout videos, purchasing inexpensive equipment, and clearing away enough space in a room to exercise safely.

Keep your diet in mind as well. It’s possible to still eat healthy yet delicious foods. Snack ideas like turkey jerky, roasted chickpeas, and tuna lettuce wraps are tasty options with energy-boosting protein.

Fill a Need

Sometimes self-care is about giving attention to areas in our lives where there may be a void. These can be bigger issues like loneliness, or they can be small things, like simple pleasures in life. Either way, it can be harder for seniors to meet these needs than it was when we were younger.

In this case, self-care is overcoming the obstacles to meeting these needs. Could you reach out to a friend or neighbor? Is transportation what stands in your way? If so, is there someone you can team up with, or a ride sharing service where you live? If you lack the motivation, try returning to the simple joys you used to relish. The website Bustle calls these practices old-fashioned, but truly, simple joys like getting your hair done or going shopping never go out of style.

These examples show how self-care can be even more important in your senior years. Your physical and emotional needs don’t go away, even when meeting them is more challenging. This is why focusing on regular self-care is such a vital part of aging healthier and happier.

Photo on Unsplash

Let’s talk about what the brain is. The brain is a complex organ that plays a vital role to function. Although it is not a muscle, it is good for us to exercise and care for it as any other part of our body. By being mindful of what we consume and the actions we take to release toxins, the better we can optimize brain health.

Your big, fat brain

Firstly, think about what you had for breakfast. How did that affect how you felt for the rest of the day? When you eat or drink something, your body processes it in a variety of stages. The components breakdown and travel to every part of your body via your bloodstream. This is how it can affect your brain and cognitive awareness. 

Your brain holds 25% of your body’s cholesterol. It’s safe to say that our brains love “fat”. But before you reach for shellfish, eggs, meat, and cheese, think twice about what kind of fat you are putting in your body. “Good fats”, also known as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats on the nutrition label, is your best bet on brain healthy fats. It can be found in avocados, nuts, and fish. Incorporating these into your diet will not only ensure a healthy brain, but also a healthy heart. Cholesterol is vital for proper function of both organs, be aware that it is not impacting negatively.

Too high LDL (bad cholesterol) or too low HDL (good cholesterol) can manifest in the body in the following ways:

• Feeling sluggish
• Memory decrease
• Slurred speech
• Shortness of breath
• in the worst cases, heart attack or stroke

Most importantly, if you experience any or all of these, contact your doctor. You may need to adjust to a more plant based diet.

Hydration is KEY

Water accounts for 75% of your brain’s mass. Not only does it filter out toxins, it helps keep you cool and collected. Being dehydrated could increase your risk of heat exhaustion or even heat stroke, both of which can damage the brain. Be mindful and avoid beverages with high sugar or alcohol content because types of drinks deprive your brain of moisture. While our brains absorb water to flush out these toxins, when feeling clouded judgement or brain fog, try a tall glass of water. H20 keeps us focused, energized, and experiences better clarity and creativity. 

Mental clarity

Take the time to clear any junk that is taking up too much space. A few ways to do so is to:

1) Get the blood moving. Exercise is a productive way to increase circulation to your brain and muscles. Going outside and taking a breath of fresh air, going on a hike/walk, doing a workout/activity, whatever movement you need to feel good, do that!

2) Limit your screen exposure. Stimulus can come from every which way, in ways more than just food, but what we consume visually too. Our brains take a lot of pressure from the outside world. With technology we have fast content at our fingertips. This can be considered a bad thing if not used properly. Try turning off your notifications to disconnect from constant alerts, or deleting social apps for a period of time, or set a time limit on said applications.

3) Rest. Our brains can become overworked, so it is important to rest effectively. Relieve stress by taking breaks often and getting a good night’s sleep. By doing so, productivity and clarity will increase. Sleep and resting from large amounts of stimuli is how the brain recovers, properly stores, and retains information. Effectively wind down from the day or large tasks by simplifying and slowing down. It is not wise to increase stimuli before bedtime because it can reduce your length of quality sleep.

Now that you learned a little bit about what it takes to have a healthy brain, how do you rate yourself or the loved one you take care of? What areas are you doing well in? What areas can be improved to help your productivity? Take a mental note of your answers. Integrate these methods into your daily routine, above all see how they can optimize your brain health!

Peoria, AZ –

Assisted Living Training School is excited to announce the Grand Opening of its West Valley Campus. Beginning September 5, 2020 this campus will provide:

• Assisted Living Caregiver Training
• CPR/First Aid Training
• Food Protection Manager Training

View the virtual Grand Opening here.

This new addition will allow us to help meet the growing need for certified caregivers in the west valley. By using the same proprietary training program established in Tempe, this expansion will emulate compassion and care across the valley.

Enroll today to be apart of the ever-growing ALTS family!

CPR and First Aid training skills are important skills for caregivers. This training provides knowledge of life-saving skills for emergency situations.

CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation) training teaches you how to respond to an emergency event where a victim has stopped breathing and does not have a heartbeat pulse. These skills often are the difference between life and death. CPR Training includes the latest techniques in:

• CPR (CPR steps and procedures)
• AED (Automated External Defibrillator)
• Primary Assessment
• Ventilations (including BVM)
• Choking (conscious and unconscious)

The Arizona NCIA board requires that Assisted Living Facility managers verify that caregivers have a current, valid certificate of training for CPR and First Aid. There are various training course available. You must complete the training that is specified for “Healthcare Provider”. This training must be instructor led with practical training on a CPR dummy. Online CPR training credentials are not acceptable for certified caregivers in Arizona.

First Aid Training

First Aid Training focuses on other emergency assistance training. This training teaches you how to provide basic treatment until emergency services arrive. First Aid training topics include:

• Treating burns
• Treating cuts
• Treating broken bones
• Head/neck/back injuries
• Sudden illness
• Frostbite
• Heat stroke

NCIA Board requirements for CPR and First Aid Training

The Arizona NCIA board requires that Assisted Living Facility managers verify that caregivers have a current, valid certificate of training for CPR and First Aid. There are various training course available. You must complete the training that is specified for “Healthcare Provider”. This training must be instructor led with practical training on a CPR dummy. Online CPR training credentials are not acceptable for certified caregivers in Arizona.

Because CPR and First Aid Training techniques are often revised over time,  the NCIA board requires that you renew your training certification every two years. The training can done separately or may be combined. It’s important that you are aware of when your training expires so that you can schedule renewal training prior to expiration. The expiration date will be noted on your training card and/or certificate.

Assisted Living Training School provide American Heart Association approved CPR and First Aid training. Call (480) 370-3595 to schedule your training.

If you have any questions about CPR or First Aid training for caregiver, contact us.

Caregiving is one of the most rewarding jobs – however it can be one of the most stressful jobs. The main role of a caregiver or a caretaker is to provide physical, emotional, and medical care for a person in need. It is natural to feel frustrated and angry during one’s journey as a caregiver. Just with any profession or career, it is common for someone to become unmotivated or undesiring to perform to the best of their ability if the individual is burnt out. It is so important to become aware of when one is stressed, frustrated, and overwhelmed so that they take initiative to reverse those feelings.

Here are some inspiring thoughts during difficult days:

Time is Valuable

Oftentimes, we take time for granted, forgetting that time is valuable and it is an aspect of life that we cannot get back. Time is exchanged between the caregiver and the person being cared for. As caregivers, we must remember who we are and how our patients see us. Sometimes the only thing that keeps residents motivated and helps them see the light at the end of the tunnel, is us. Not only is our time limited, but their time is as well. We must remember the time spent with our patients is precious and treat it as such. 

Most of the time, we are the ones being taken care of

There are many rewards to caregiving. As much as we provide care for the person in need, we often come home realizing how much we can learn from someone else. Caring for someone reveals many beautiful life lessons and take with us as we go through our life journey.

We are a light in the darkness

In some cases, the people we care for have never experienced what it is like to be taken care of. To some patients, we are the light in their darkness. We are sometimes the highlight or most exciting part of their day.

Caregiving challenges our individual life journey

As caregivers, we see light and dark. We see beautiful moments but we also experience the tough reality of disease, disability, and emotional struggles our patients go through. These moments help shape our individual life journey in which we gain courage, confidence, and strength.

We are messengers

In our profession, we have the privilege of getting to know the lives of others. We listen and understand the highs and lows someone else got to experience. We get to listen to the stories and legacies our patients carried. These stories can inspire us in our personal journey. These stories are stories that will make a footprint in our legacy or can be an inspiration to someone else’s.

Caregiving has the power to transform. It is a profession that demonstrates compassion and love to the people that need it. It is a profession that challenges the caregiver on their individual journey and their personal growth. Caregiving has the power to transform and impact the hearts of not just the patient but the caregiver themself.

Good housekeeping can protect a caregiver and their resident from infections and potential harm.

As an example, cleaning the floor for a dementia resident can reduce their risk of falling and injuring themselves. Another example can be neatly making a residents bed can reduce the risk of pressure ulcers. By following good housekeeping, it is beneficial for both you and the resident. While “light” housekeeping is a responsibility, caregivers are not considered cleaning maids. Cleaning maids’ main focus are cleaning projects while a caregivers’ main focus is the resident.

Light Housekeeping duties caregivers are expected to do include

• Laundry
• Bathroom cleaning
• Kitchen cleaning
• Living room tidying
• Bed-making

Housekeeping duties caregivers are not expected to do include:

• Heavy lifting
• Window washing
• Outdoor maintenance

Understanding the way we care, and transforming it!

As humans, we are naturally caring individuals. We have a soft spot for cute animals, babies, and heartwarming videos that show up on our Facebook feed that make our eyes water. The compassion does not have to stop there.

The first glimpse of care that we receive is what we understand “love” to be. Love is a big word that can look like different things for each of us, but an important thing to notice is that the way we love others is how others have loved us in our early years. Although gossip magazines claim to have the answers of what love is, there isn’t a defined step-by-step guide to love. Love is based on personal experience, and can be ever changing the more we interact with different expressions of love.

Caring is an expression of love. We have seen the popularity of “self-care” arise these past few years that suggest many ways to care for your mind, body, and soul. The most important relationship that you have is with yourself, and caring for yourself in ways that are physical, emotional, mental, psychological, spiritual – all aspects of self, is crucial to becoming happy without relying on external factors (people, wealth, objects). However, as we become older and our body is no longer at its prime, more care is needed.

I like to think of care in relation of how we would care for a plant. 3 necessary factors to keep a plant alive: water, sun, and environment. Although each plant has different ways to care, it all comes back to the 3 necessary factors. If your plant is not looking so great, is drooping or leaves are yellowing, understand that one of the 3 is not working well for it and may need some adjustment or extra attention. Maybe more/less water, more/less sun, larger area to grow. Keep in mind that all plants are different and will need different amounts of care. All plants will gives us signs when things are not going well, and is a gentle reminder that something needs to change to get better. Just because the plant looks like it is dying doesn’t mean it is a lost cause and to stop taking care of it. It is an opportunity to inspire and encourage life by caring for it. Why not have these perspectives when we care for ourselves and other people? We have the potential to bloom into something great and also have the opportunity to be a light to others.

I encourage you to write your thoughts down in a journal or notebook. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and explore different ideas to improve quality of life!

“Caregiving often calls us to lean into a love that we did not know was possible.” 

Caregivers work in a variety of settings with an array of people and play a vital role in each one of the individuals life’s that they care for. Caregiving holds a great amount of responsibility. By looking into the daily tasks of a caregiver, you see that it is a demanding field that requires a lot of patience and time management. You also see that it is both fulfilling and rewarding.  Caregivers help with the activities of daily living to individuals who are no longer able to be self dependent. Being a caregiver involves time management, interpersonal skills, organization, cleanliness, patience, and flexibility.

Caregiver Duties

As a caregiver, my day consists of assisting those in need.

For example:

• helping residents to get dressed
• assisting them in the restroom
• grooming
• giving medication
• maintaining good nutrition
• go to appointments

Most importantly, it looks like companionship. Most seniors are able to do activities for themselves, they just need assistance. I am not there to do everything for them, but to be there for when they need help. We assist with bathing, shampooing and conditioning the hair, shaving, styling of the hair, brushing teeth and any other hygiene needs.

Medications

The average elderly patient takes more than 5 prescription medications a day. Many medications need to be taken at certain times, with or without food etc… However, with age our memory starts to gradually decline. You could only imagine how hard it is to keep up with all of this information. As a caregiver, we aren’t only helping with remembering to take medication but helping to read labels, to understand what medication is for what, and why the resident needs to take it.

Healthy Lifestyle

As we get older, it becomes harder for us to maintain the vital nutrients we need. It also becomes more important for us to receive those nutrients. Many caregivers will go shopping and meal prep for their residents to ensure they are receiving the proper nutrition and adequate meals. In addition to meal preparation, caregivers can also help with light housekeeping. Helping residents with activities like this can be very beneficial to keeping a healthy life style.

A healthy lifestyle may look different for each individual. However, one thing always stays consistent, the level of urgency and love we put into each patient. It requires strength, resilience, determination and a lot of patience. Caregivers understand that the people are going through one of the most difficult situations that they have ever been in. It is understood that we are working with people who have medical conditions that they have no control over, it is important to never take anything personal. In addition, to provide the best qualify of life for others.

Life Lessons

Being a care giver has taught me that giving my time to somebody in need and helping be the voice for somebody who can no longer use their own is the purest form of service there is. I learned to be grateful and appreciative. Laughter truly is the best medicine. Importantly, self care is extremely important no matter how old you are. Caregiving has given me a sense of understanding myself and in others that I never had before. It taught me beautiful lessons. When I see the smile on my patient’s faces, it makes the long days and the difficult moments worth it. Caregiving is the truest form of empathy and compassion I have ever been able to give and receive.

• Understanding how food can make people sick after being contaminated by physical, chemical, or biological hazards.
• Understand that the behavior of caregivers directly affects the safety of food.
• Learn how to prevent contamination of food and food contact surfaces.
• Learn to use appropriate barriers to prevent bare hand contact with food.
• Understand which symptoms require caregivers to stay home from work or reporting an illness or symptom to the manager.
• Learn the appropriate time and temperature requirements for keeping food safe during specific stages of food preparation.
• Understand how to keep the workplace and equipment clean.

The Arizona NCIA board requires that Assisted Living Training Centers verify completion of food handler training before allowing students to test for caregiver certification and being granted an Arizona Caregiver certificate.

You can choose any food handler training provider that meets the training criteria for the state of Arizona. If you have previously completed the training for another job and have a valid food handler card or certificate, you can use it to fulfill this training requirement.

Food handler training can be completed online. The course is about 1 ½ hours long depending on the student.

Assisted Living Training School recommends US Food Handler for your training. The program is 100% online and the cost is $12.95. This training cost is not included in your tuition fee.

If you have any questions about food handler training for caregiver, contact us.