Training and orientation

Training in CDS is split in an unusual way, and it is worth knowing up front: we train you on the program. The person you care for trains you on their care.

Why the consumer trains you

That is how the program is built. It is not a gap in our training.

The person you care for directs their own care. They know how they want to be lifted, which shoulder hurts, and what order the morning goes in. Nobody else can teach you that. A class would only teach you a generic version.

Missouri law reflects this. RSMo 208.900 makes vendor responsibilities “monitoring and oversight of the personal care attendant, orientation, and training of the consumer” — the consumer is trained to be an employer, and then instructs their attendant.

What our orientation covers

• What CDS is, and the roles of consumer, attendant and vendor.
• Which tasks are authorized, and why the care plan is the boundary.
• Timesheets: what your signature certifies, deadlines, and common errors.
• Electronic visit verification — how to record visits correctly.
• Payroll, tax withholding and how to read your pay stub.
• Confidentiality and the consumer’s privacy in their own home.
• Recognizing and reporting abuse, neglect and exploitation.
• Program integrity — what Medicaid fraud looks like and how to avoid it.
• Who to call when something goes wrong.

What the consumer teaches you

• Their transfer technique and what hurts.
• Their bathing and dressing routine, in the order they want it.
• Where things are kept and how they like the kitchen run.
• Their schedule, and what counts as an emergency.
• Their preferences — which matter more than your habits.

Going further on your own

Nothing past our training is required. But attendants who want to get better at this often look at:

• Safe transfer and body mechanics training — the single highest-value skill for avoiding injury to you and to the consumer.
• Basic first aid and CPR through the American Red Cross or American Heart Association.
• Condition-specific education — dementia, stroke recovery, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury — depending on who you care for.
• Free caregiver education through the Missouri Area Agencies on Aging.

If you want to move into clinical work later, a CNA program is the usual next step. This job is a good way to find out whether you like care work before you commit to that.