Feeding Assistant Program: Training Requirements
Feeding assistant training programs must follow certain standards. These include being at least eight hours in length and covering certain topics. These topics include how to:
- Control or stop the spread of infection.
- Help residents eat and drink.
- Perform procedures like the Heimlich maneuver.
- Recognize changes in residents that should be reported to a nurse.
- Respect residents' rights.
- Respond to resident behavior.
- Talk to and interact with residents.
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In addition to these topics, programs must cover:
- Population-specific training. That means:
- An overview of residents' needs, including treatments and services.
- How to meet the needs of residents with more than one illness. This could be someone with a mental health illness and drug dependence, for example.
- Instruction on who feeding assistants can help. That doesn't include residents with complicated feeding problems.
- Training for those who completed a program at another facility. This is so the feeding assistant can understand the needs of the residents they'll now serve.
- Wisconsin's Caregiver Programs, including:
- Background check requirements.
- Rehabilitation review requirements.
- The definitions of client abuse, neglect, and property theft.
- The importance of reporting complaints of wrongdoing.
Facilities can add more hours to their program to cover other topics.