Caregiving

Survey Reveals Public Misperception of Training Received by In-Home Caregivers

On April 16, 2007, a Harris Interactive Survey reported that, in spite of the United States having no national training requirements for professional in-home caregivers of older adults, an alarming 78 percent of those who hired such caregivers believe they had received formal training, according to a released today.

The survey, conducted for The Caregiving Project for Older Americans, underscores the growing misperception the American public has regarding the training of those taking care of older adults in the home.

“Neither independent contractors who work as in-home paid caregivers, nor caregivers who receive training through their for-profit agency or community program, must adhere to national standards. Consequently, training is usually haphazard and spotty at best.” says Dr. Larry Wright, co-director of The Caregiving Project for Older Americans and director of the Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education.

Methodology

Four separate surveys were conducted among 6,589 U.S. adults (aged 18+). Two of the surveys were conducted by telephone omnibus to explore the use of paid in-home caregivers. The other two surveys were conducted on a Harris Interactive online omnibus among the Harris Poll Online Panel to assess how many Americans have worked as a paid in-home caregiver.

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Survey Reveals Public Misperception of Training Received by In-Home Caregivers

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