This curriculum from the Rush Center for Excellence in Aging is designed to prepare caregiver specialists working with family caregivers in the community to understand basic concepts related to aging and caregiving. The courses here are not a comprehensive training program to address all potential challenges, but rather a foundation of knowledge to build upon with experience. Courses in this section:

• Normal Aging
• Adult Development (2-part)
• Common Life Issues for Older Adults
• Common Challenges in Family Caregiving
• Compassion Fatigue
• Grief and Loss: A Framework
• Cultural and Language considerations in working with family caregivers
• Common medical illnesses caregivers address
• Trauma-informed approaches to supporting caregivers and care recipients (COMING SOON!)

Caregiver specialists are also encouraged to see the companion curriculum regarding dementia in this learning hub from our colleagues at Aliviado Health at New York University.

Funding for making this initiative available to Illinois Area Agencies on Aging was provided in whole by the Illinois Department on Aging. Funding for the content development was provided by the Illinois Department on Aging, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U1QHP28715 and by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) under grant number 6H79FG000600-01M001. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.