Training for geriartic nursery assistance

Job type                    recognised occupation requiring formal training
Training type            Vocational schools (regulated by state law)
Duration of traning   1 year
Training sites            vocational school and internships

What do you do in this job?

Caregiver assistants help caretakers to provide for healthy, sick or frail elderly. They help with the personal hygiene, eating or administering medication that a doctor orders. They help with everyday situations e.g. accompanying the elderly  when visiting the doctor or authorities, organizing together with other caregivers recreational activities such as games or sport activities. They also look after family members, help organizing or leading informational talks about care for the terminally ill and the deceased.

Where do you work?

Employment establishments:
Caregiver assistants find placement
   • in elderly and nursing homes
   • short-term care facilities with nursing care
   • in geriatric and gerontological psychiatric departments of hospitals
   • rehabilitation care clinics
   • geriatric care services
   • in private households

Workplaces:
Caregiver assistants work primarily
   • in patients' rooms, treatment rooms, washrooms
   • in group rooms and lounges
In addition, they work if necessary,
   • outdoors
   • in private homes

Which graduation is expected?
A secondary school degree is generally required (9th grade). The vocational schools select candidates based on their own criteria.

What is important?

Requirements:
   • care and a sense of responsibility (e.g. administer care according to regulations and documenting)
   • good physical condition (e.g. moving of patients)
   • empathy (e.g. in dealing with patients and relatives)
   • emotional stability (e.g. in dealing with very sick or terminally ill patients)

School subjects:
   • religious / ethics education(e.g. the understanding of ethical principles in important care issues)
   • economic / social studies (understanding  legal principles and business management frameworks as
      well as the contexts of the social system)
   • music / art (planning leisure activities for everyday care)

What you earn in the training?

Depending on the state a right for training compensation can be made in different amounts. Some schools have costs like school fees, admission fees and examination fees.

Source: BERUFENET (http://arbeitsagentur.de) - Date: 01.09.2014