
Caregiving That Works.
CalGrows is a program of the California Department of Aging for in-home and community-based caregivers of older adults and people with disabilities.
CalGrows delivers support for California’s unpaid family and friend caregivers, as well as the paid direct care workforce, through training, incentives, and career pathway development. Courses will cover a variety of topics, such as: end-of-life care, grief, managing stress, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, communication skills and English language learning.
Who can Apply?
- Home and community-based providers and/or trade associations
- Direct care workforce training entities
- Community-based organizations
- Social enterprises
- Non-profits
- Adult education providers
- Others

Available Courses
Course Name | Course Description |
---|---|
Palliative Care | Specialized health care for people living with serious illness that focuses on providing relief of symptoms and maximizing the person’s ability to engage in routine activities and improve their quality of life. |
The Cognitive Decline with Aging | Cognitive decline refers to the temporary or permanent decline in a person’s thinking, memory, ability to concentrate, and other brain functions. Over the age of 65, approximately 12 percent of adults experience cognitive decline. It may manifest as memory loss, confusion, irritability, poor judgment, or impulsive behavior. Its causes include diseases (such as Alzheimer’s), medications, hormone deficiencies, vitamin deficiencies, substance abuse, injury, and infection. |
Hospice/End of Life Care | Hospice/End-of-Life Care refers to care that focuses on comfort and quality of life for terminally ill patients and may be provided in a facility or at home. Typically, attempts to cure the illness are no longer pursued, and care focuses on providing comfort and assisting with life’s conclusion. Care and assistance are provided to both the family and the individual. |
Care of the family with psychotherapeutic medications | This course will teach the inexperienced caregiver a fundamental grasp of drugs used for dementia, Alzheimer’s, and mental health conditions, along with knowledge of their adverse effects and therapeutic doses. |
Multiple Chronic Conditions | An introduction to caring for clients who have many chronic conditions will be given in this course, along with a framework for planning care and supervision, access to resources, and knowledge of care delivery. |
Culturally Competent Care: Humility and Responsiveness | This course’s goal is to introduce the concept of cultural humility in healthcare. Going over the definitions of cultural humility will serve as a springboard for talking about strategies and pointers for working with individuals from various cultural backgrounds |
Motivational Interviewing | Using interviewing techniques, you will learn how to comprehend and modify mental and physical health behavior in this course. Fundamental behavioral concepts and the foundational components of supported motivational interviewing techniques will be the major topics covered. |
Trauma Informed Care | This course will help the learner to understand that Trauma-informed care (TIC) can help patients experience better results and can help improve patient outcomes. |
Working with the elder population | This module is devoted to learning about the unique requirements that older patients have. We will start by examining societal views around aging and social aspects that alter as people age. Then, we will look at how the body and mind change as a person ages throughout the lifespan and examine all the various body systems. |
Human Touch Healthcare | Develops in learners the essential interpersonal skills to work in healthcare. These competencies are what employers value. Students engage in adult-friendly interactive coursework to practice competencies that distinguish them for jobs and help them succeed in the workplace. |