SAN DIEGO — California's aging population is growing quickly, and that means we're facing a looming shortage of caregivers for older adults and adults with disabilities over the next five to 10 years.
To help close the gap, CalGrows is offering free courses through the end of September.
"Being a caregiver is a very hard job," said classes manager Sean Hidalgo.
"After the CalGrows course, I feel like I know I can make a difference, like whatever we do, makes a difference to them, so the more we know, the better for them," added Betsy Cervantes, who participated in a class.
"It's a lot of knowledge that you get within a small time frame," said Keng Thor, who is an ACC Senior Services Driver.
"People like feeling empowered by taking what they learn and immediately use it," said Jeannie Smith, who also took a class.
Being a caregiver can be one of the hardest, yet most rewarding, often unpaid jobs that comes with no training.
"Many times family and friends are called upon to help provide caregiving - so we want to expand on our skills," said Connie Nakano, Assistant Director of Communications at the California Department of Aging.
That's why the department is trying to address the impending shortage and is now offering free classes on caregiving until Sept. 30.
"This was introduced because by 2030, there's going to be a huge demographic shift, so one in four Californians are going to be age 60 or older, which will be more than those who are 18 and younger," Nakano added.
The longer we live, the greater the need. For the first time ever in California, those over 60 are outnumbering the younger generation; and those over age 85 are set to double by the year 2030.
"So what this means, is with the aging population, we're going to need a lot more caregivers. What we're anticipating is there's going to be a shortage of about 3.2 million caregivers," Nakano said.
The courses are for those simply wanting to take better care of their aging parents, and if it's already your full time job, there are incentives. The deadline to apply is the end of August.
"To date, we've got about 12,000 paid and unpaid caregivers, and we've paid up to $5 million in stipends, and there's more available," Nakano said.
Online or in person, from mobility to memory care, there are a variety of topics to help you enhance or expand your skills to better take care of your loved one. Courses are offered in nine languages.
"We've taught classes on fire safety, fall prevention, Alzheimer's and dementia, several different course ranging from first aid, team communication and leadership classes," Hidalgo added.
As California grows, CalGrows is taking this step to increase the number of high quality caregivers so we can live good, long lives.
"The rewarding thing is just being able to be there for someone," said Mia Frayseth said, a CalGrows participant.
More information: www.calgrows.org
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