Kim Uriarte, RN – Registered Nurse

“Continual Caregiver Training Matters.”
Kim is not only Valley Home Care’s Executive Director, but she’s also in charge of our innovative Caregiver training programs. Kim has spent almost her entire 30+ years as an R.N. in the geriatric care field. She shares her deep insights and guidance with Caregivers on the job and in the classroom.

“Home care is a different dynamic,” Kim explains. “We want our Caregivers to be able to identify client issues before they become a problem and that requires a higher level of knowledge and awareness. I’ve seen from personal experience as a Geriatric Nurse what issues bring seniors into hospitals and it can often be prevented by being more proactive with home care.”

Kim trains Caregivers on what to look out for such as symptoms or signs of a change in a client’s physical or emotional well-being as well as how to respond when they notice something out of the ordinary.

“Unlike most other home care agencies, Valley Home Care always has an R.N. available that our Caregivers can call and report things they notice before it becomes more serious and requires hospital admission. The more our Caregivers know, the more they can do to keep clients in the comfort and safety of their homes. It’s why I enjoy sharing my experience with them. It makes a difference.”

Heidi Mitchel, MPT – Physical Therapist

“The More We Know, The More We Can Do.”
Heidi’s approach to Caregiver training is reality-based which makes her Caregiver training sessions especially popular and useful.

“I don’t talk at Caregivers because that’s not the best way to learn. I ask them to share with me and others in the class information about clients they are caring for and to discuss some of the issues they are encountering. It’s far more relevant to talk about real people they can relate to and it engages the Caregivers more in their education.”

Heidi knows from experience that client mobility is a critical issue in home care.

“Continual training is a game-changer for Caregivers and their clients. The better Caregivers are trained, the better the client care. If client mobility changes, Caregivers are the first to notice if they know what to be aware of when performing their duties. Heidi helps Caregivers understand the client “baseline” and how to use that as a point of reference to monitor a client’s overall well-being.

“If a client could perform mobility tasks independently yesterday and today is struggling or unable to do the same things, this is a decline in their baseline. It signifies something may be happening that needs attention or intervention. We don’t want our Caregivers to wait until it becomes serious so we train them to spot things others might not see. Being more aware helps to deliver better client care. “If our Caregivers know how to keep their clients’ mobility as high as possible so they can perform necessary day-to-day functions, it increases their chances of remaining in their own homes. It’s why we are continually training our Caregivers – to keep our clients at home and near the ones they love.”

Jennifer Cota, MA, CCC-SLP – Speech-Language Pathologists

“We Are Teaching Caregivers Tomorrow’s Skills, Today.”
Jennifer’s experience as a Speech-Language Pathologist helps broaden our Caregiver’s understanding of many critical issues that impact client care. Clients suffering from memory loss due to Alzheimer’s Disease or traumatic brain injury often experience cognitive challenges and strong mood swings.

Jennifer educates our Caregivers on not only how to identify the symptoms, but moreover, how to respond in ways that helps keep the client calm when they become agitated or upset. She shares with Caregivers proven strategies that help compensate for memory loss which results in an improved client care experience cognitive challenges and strong mood swings. Jennifer educates our Caregivers on not only how to identify the symptoms, but moreover, how to respond in ways that helps keep the client calm when they become agitated or upset. She shares with Caregivers proven strategies that help compensate for memory loss which results in an improved client care experience.

Another important area that Jennifer instructs Caregivers on is swallowing disorders which helps contribute a client’s continued well-being at home. When a client returns home from a hospital stay or has health issues that impact the types of foods they can eat, it is essential that Caregivers understand the nuances of specialized diets and feeding.

“Clients need to have proper nutrition which involves more than just helping prepare meals,” explains Jennifer. Many elderly people have swallowing difficulties that can be addressed by a Caregiver who understands the importance of diet modifications and the textures and consistencies of the foods they prepare. “

Jennifer is an advocate of reality-based Caregiver training because it provides immediate benefits to Valley Home Care clients.

“Caregivers who learn how to communicate better with clients contribute to the prime purpose of caregiving which is to do everything possible to help seniors live their lives as fully as possible in the comfortable familiarity of their own homes. I’m glad to be able to contribute to the process by working with a home care company that values continual Caregiver training.

Ivy Villegas, OT – Occupational Therapist

“Continual Caregiver Training Is Critical To Quality In- Home Care.”
Ivy is an Occupational Therapist who instructs Caregivers on how to help their clients recover, improve and maintain the essential living skills that makes staying at home possible.

“I enjoy working with the Caregivers at Valley Home Care because they are so open to learning new skills,”

“They tell me what type of problems they are encountering and our training sessions proceed from there. Sometimes their needs involve transfers or the use of equipment. Most of the time, it’s focused on sharpening their fundamental skills which helps promote their clients’ mental, emotional and physical well-being.”

When a person is at home coping with an illness, injury or disability, simple daily living tasks such as bathing, grooming and dressing can be challenge. The training sessions we have for our Caregivers gives them a better understanding of how to properly assist clients with daily living activities and maintain their current functional levels.

“Valley Caregivers go beyond what’s required. They take the time to know their clients more intimately so they can better anticipate and respond to their needs. They appreciate what I have to share with them that makes their jobs and their clients lives more fulfilling. “

Beth Wetter, COTA – Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

“Little Things Make A BIG Difference.”
Beth is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant that works in the geriatric field, so her insights on ADL’s – Activities of Daily Living – are one of the many things that our Caregivers learn that improve the quality of life for their clients.

“I ask Caregivers what problems they are encountering,” explains Beth. “It’s common for Caregivers to get into a rut where they lose focus on some of the fundamentals of home care, the little things they do as part of their daily routines. I help them stay focused on what’s important which is not just getting their job done, but doing it the right way. Caregivers are there to promote a client’s independence, not to just do things for them that they are able to do for themselves. The success at which clients can maintain a level of independence is what keeps them at home instead of a care facility.

Beth’s approach to training is not only explaining to what to do, but why they need to do it correctly so Caregivers understand the value they are providing.

“I’m like a coach of a sports team is certain ways. By helping Caregivers do ordinary things in exceptional ways, everyone benefits – especially the client. It’s a combination of a lot of little things that add up to make a big difference.