According to recent data reported from the National Center on Caregiving, the numbers of individuals caring for people who are disabled, ill, or aged is in excess of 65 million. The article defines an informal caregiver as someone who “is an unpaid individual (a spouse, partner, family member, friend, or neighbor) involved in assisting others with activities of daily living and/or medical tasks.” It goes on define a formal caregiver as a “paid care providers providing care in one’s home or in a care setting (daycare, residential, care facility, etc.).”

The need for skilled caregivers is only going to become more acute in the coming years, as the Baby Boomer generation grows older. Finding the right training will be essential for organizations, as well as the people who help support this aging population, whether they’re professionals, paid care providers, friends, or family members. More older adults and people with disabilities want to take control over the hiring of personal assistants and want practical information to help them with their activities of daily living.

DirectCourse’s College of Personal Assistance and Caregiving (CPAC) is a web-based curriculum designed to train and educate family caregivers and home care providers who work with people with physical disabilities and older adults. Created by the Community Living Policy Center at the University of California—San Francisco, this online curriculum is an effective tool to give caregivers—or people receiving care—the best training and information necessary to help make a person’s later years more edifying and enjoyable.