Review: "Household-related services" Module 5

Training in household-related services

Module 5: Everyday support and caregivers

For the first time, the BIWAQ V training program for household-related services Module 5 Everyday support and caregivers offered.

Carina Deutscher, a.l.s.o. Schwäbisch Gmünd, offered 14 participants a comprehensive introduction to working with older people from the end of April to the beginning of June. The aim was to give the participants an overview of the wide range of tasks involved in care and nursing so that they could expand their knowledge and acquire new skills.

• The participants learned about various Professions in geriatric and nursing care know: Nursing professionals, geriatric care assistants and everyday care assistants. Carina Deutscher explained what tasks these professions involve and what qualifications are required for them.
• One Excursion took the participants to the St. Loreto Institute for Social Professions in Schwäbisch Gmünd. There, the participants were able to gain an insight into training for care professions for the elderly and exchange ideas with trainees.
• The participants dealt with frequent Diseases and restrictions in old age, such as dementia or strokes. Carina Deutscher explained how these illnesses affect quality of life and what special needs older people have.
• Possible tasks of everyday companions and caregivers are, for example, accompanying people on walks, holding conversations and promoting independence. The aim is to support older people so that they can live as independently as possible. It became clear that everyday companions are a very important addition and support for care professionals and a relief for relatives.
• Communication: The participants learned that, according to the four-ear model, a statement can have four different messages. Carina Deutscher vividly demonstrated how to build a good relationship with people in need of care by taking this communication model into account, active listening, empathy and clear language. Practical exercises helped participants to better understand what they had just learned.
  

The everyday support/caregiver module consisted of ten sessions: Five dates alternated between theory and practice and five dates between a German course was given by Vera Holzwarth from the Gmünd VHS. Here, the participants prepared the specialist vocabulary for each topic. The specialist theory with practice took place in training rooms at a.l.s.o., while the German course was held in the BIWAQ training room at Unipark.

Module 5 Everyday companionship and caregivers provided participants with valuable insights into this field of activity through the combination of specialist theory and practical exercises. This is also evident from the feedback. Six of the 14 participants can actually imagine accompanying elderly people in their everyday lives in the future. Five participants see this as a possible field of activity for themselves. Even though the technical vocabulary was challenging for some, everyone was very satisfied with the training. As in the previous training modules, the participants benefited from the alternation between the preparatory German course and the specialist theory with practice.

The training program for household-related services continues: Module 1 on environmental protection with Ilka Fiebig (GOA) has just taken place for the third time. Due to the high level of interest, Module 5 on everyday support and caregivers will start again after the summer vacations on 17.09.2025 under the direction of Carina Deutscher (a.l.s.o.). In order to do justice to the extensive topics, this time the module will run over a longer period (10 weeks).

On Monday mornings, there are lessons in technical theory with practice. All modules have an accompanying German course on Wednesday mornings, in which Vera Holzwarth prepares the technical vocabulary with the participants.

17.07.2025

Vera Holzwarth