Welcome to the Iowa Prepare to Care Information Center!

Below and on related pages is information that will help you become familiar with Iowa's Prepare to Care curriculum and training for Direct Care Professionals in all settings. If you have questions, contact Dr. Anita Stineman.

Updated Statements

Regarding Prepare to Care Modules for Local Public Health Agencies Providing Home Health Aide Services and Home Health Aide and Hospice Aide Training

Iowa Department of Public Health Approval of Prepare to Care September 2013

Iowa Department of Public Health approved the following Prepare to Care curriculum modules for local public health agencies providing home health aide services: Core, Home & Community Living (HCL), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL), Personal Support (PS), Personal Activities of Daily Living (PADL), and Health Monitoring and Maintenance (HMM).

Upon completion of training, the employing agency must affirm that the home health aide has demonstrated the ability to perform skills for the assigned tasks.

Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals Statement on Prepare to Care December 21, 2015

The combined Prepare to Care Personal Activities of Daily Living (PADL) and the Health Monitoring and Maintenance (HMM) curriculums meet the current federal requirement as an option for Home Health Aide and Hospice Aide training.

Upon completion of training, the employing agency must observe the home health aide in performing skills and complete an additional competency check list of skills to affirm that the home health aide is competent to be in a home to do the same skills.

Download the Prepare to Care Training announcement (PDF)

Direct Care Workforce Initiative Summit Report

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Iowa Department of Public Health convened a summit of interested stakeholders on October 6, 2016, to learn more about and discuss the direct care workforce and the opportunities and challenges to meeting workforce demand. This IDPH Summit report was released in early January 2017.

File Downloads:

IDPH DCW Summit Report Final Released 2016 12 13.pdf

About the Prepare to Care Curriculum

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The curriculum developed through the Direct Care Workforce Initiative is now available statewide!

These resources give more information about the trainings and how DCPs can combine courses into Career Pathways to earn Advanced Training Certificates.

File Downloads:

General information about Prepare to Care:

About Prepare to Care training for direct care professionals:

About Prepare to Care training for employers:

About Prepare to Care training for use by community colleges:

About Prepare to Care training for consumers, family members, and the public:

Updated!! Career Pathways and Course Descriptions:

"Mouth Care Matters" Oral Health Specialty Training to Continue

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The first Prepare to Care Specialty Training, in Oral Health, was developed and piloted through grants funded by Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation, Mid-Iowa Health Foundation, and Iowa Department of Public Health through a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cooperative Agreement (#DP13-1307) and awarded to Iowa CareGivers.

To date, 23 dental hygienists have become Mouth Care Matters Oral Health Specialty instructors, and 98 direct care professionals have completed the oral health specialty training. The project has yielded positive preliminary findings with a significant gain in knowledge by those who completed the training.

With continued support, additional trainings will be held at locations to be determined in the future. Watch Iowa CareGivers website for class schedules as they become available. www.iowacaregivers.org or contact Mary Ann Young at maryann@iowacaregivers.org.

Please check back for future training opportunities for the Oral Health Specialty Training.