Hundreds gathered in Harrisburg to honor the latest group of direct care workers to graduate from TEF partner PA Frontline Healthcare Training’s program.
HARRISBURG – Family, friends, elected and state officials, and fellow caregivers were among the hundreds of supporters who turned out on Monday, June 3, at the Red Lion Hotel in Harrisburg to celebrate the latest class of direct care workers to graduate from PA Frontline Healthcare Training’s program.
More than 800 home care workers have completed the program this year, participating in 32 hours of enhanced training in areas like CPR, Care Team Integration, Medication Safety and Adherence, and more. These crucial training modules provide direct care workers with the tools and confidence they need to provide the most impactful - and safest - care and support possible. The program also helps caregivers learn new skills and strengthen the skills they already have, as well as provides an opportunity for career advancement – a key component in solving Pennsylvania’s current healthcare staffing crisis.
“I was expecting the same mundane trainings I had to take in the past but boy was I wrong,” said Jessie Vallimont, a former nursing home and hospice social worker who left the field to become a direct care worker. “I was struck by the valuable information presented and inspired by the multitude of knowledge direct care workers have access to by completing these sessions.”
Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor & Industry also sees the program as extremely valuable for both PA’s caregivers and consumers. Frontline was recently awarded a nearly $560,000 grant to develop more enhanced trainings for home care workers in areas like caring for those suffering from dementia and disability-specific education for a client's specialized needs.
“Despite their importance, home care workers often go unnoticed and underappreciated, said Barbara Conrad, Executive Director of Frontline. “Caregivers are frequently overworked, underpaid, and undervalued. We believe that training elevates caregiving from a task to an art form — a practice informed by evidence-based research, best practices, and a deep understanding of human psychology and physiology. It transforms caregivers into skilled professionals capable of delivering not just care, but quality care that enhances the quality of life for those they serve.”
“I want you to know how much I appreciate that you’ve done this,” PA Human Services Secretary Dr. Valerie Arkoosh told the caregivers in attendance. “I think of you as professionals. The work that you do is so critically important and these trainings enable that professionalism to really shine. I hope that if I’m ever in a situation where I need a direct care worker to help me I have someone as kind and caring and passionate and committed to your work as all of you are.”
Participant-directed home care workers are a crucial part of our healthcare system, providing essential, skilled care that allows seniors and people with disabilities to live independently at home and participate fully in society. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania is suffering from a home care staffing crisis – one that Frontline is striving to help solve with support and training for participant-directed home care workers across the Commonwealth.
PA Frontline Healthcare Training is Pennsylvania’s premier provider of participant-directed direct home care worker orientation and training since 2018. We engage thousands of direct care workers through online sessions and in-person training at dozens of locations throughout PA.
