Caregivers provide support with Activities of Daily Living, such as getting out of bed, taking a shower or using the bathroom. It is an essential, rewarding job.
If you are an unpaid caregiver caring for someone age 60 or older, or a senior raising a child, you need the Family Caregiver Support Program. The Adult Care Home Program (ACHP) does not manage the Family Caregiver Support Program.
Adult care homes are licensed, single family residences that offer 24-hour care for one to five older adults and adults with disabilities.
The ACHP licenses care homes, and provides approval to caregivers who meet training and certification requirement.
Caregiver Requirements and Trainings
You must be at least 18 years old to work as a caregivers, and at least 21 to work alone for more than two hours in a 12 hour period of time.
Adult care homes are licensed to serve residents from these populations:
- Older Adults and People with Disabilities (APD)
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)
- Behavioral Health (BH)
Caregivers must complete requirements based on the populations being served in the care home. When a care home serves residents from more than one population, you must complete requirements for all populations being served.
Below is a list of minimum requirements to start work as a caregiver. If you are starting out administering medicine or working alone, then more trainings are required. See the tables below for more information. The ACHP may require you to complete additional trainings as needed.
All requirements are free unless a fee is listed.
Many courses are offered by Oregon Care Partners. To get a certificate of completion, you must create your own account and take each training online as an individual. Be sure to print or save your certificate as a PDF.
Minimum Requirements to Start Work as a Caregiver | ||
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| APD Caregivers | BH Caregivers | IDD Caregivers |
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All Caregiver Requirements and Registration Information | ||
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| Requirement | Caregivers | Description |
| Application and Background Check | All caregivers | Caregiver Application and Background Check (364.09 KB) Edit file Application fee is $10; background check fee is $15. How to Submit Background Check Requests, Caregiver Applications and Payments Caregivers must renew their application annually. Make sure all trainings and certifications are up to date when you renew. |
| Care home job application | All caregivers | Provided by the adult care home operator. Return completed application to operator. |
| Caregiver Checklist | All caregivers | Caregiver Checklist (75.25 KB) Edit file A new Caregiver Checklist must be completed if you begin working in a new home. |
| Mandatory Abuse Reporter Training | All caregivers | Take one of the two approved training option:
Request Workday Learning Account Instructions: How to Request a Workday Learning Account (210.86 KB) Edit file
The state of Oregon also provides this useful guide: Abuse Reporting and Investigative Guide for Providers. Caregivers must complete an annual review of the responsibility for mandatory abuse reporting. (This review does not count toward continuing education requirements.) Youth abuse reporter trainings are not accepted. |
| Providing Inclusive Care | All caregivers | Your certificate is valid for 24 months from completion. It is transferable between adult care homes and facilities. This course must be retaken every 24 months. Oregon Care Partners provides other classes about LGBT rights, but this is the only approved course to fulfill the requirement. ¿Hablas español? El programa de Proporcionar Cuidados Inclusivos se ofrece en español. |
| Six Rights of Safe Medication Administration | All caregivers before administering medication | Caregivers are now allowed to take this course instead of Record Keeping B. |
| Pre-Service Dementia Training | APD caregivers | Take one of the two approved training options:
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| APD workbook | APD and BH caregivers | Complete and sign this workbook: APD Caregiver Preparatory Training Workbook (4.7 MB) Edit file |
| Home and Community-Based Services | APD and BH caregivers | Required for all staff in APD homes, or homes serving APD residents. This training must be retaken annually. ¿Hablas español? El programa de Servicios y Entornos de Atención Basados en el Hogar y la Comunidad (HCBS) se ofrece en español. |
| Opioid antagonist video | BH caregivers | Watch this ACHP-approved video: Using Adapt Nasal Narcan to Reverse Opiate Overdose Only required for BH homes, not homes serving BH residents through interagency placement. If you've taken the opioid antagonist training, you don't need to watch this video. |
| 12 Continuing Education Units (CEU) annually | IDD and BH caregivers | IDD and BH caregivers must complete 12 CEUs annually. IDD caregivers in 2M homes must complete 14, and at least six of these CEUs must relate to specific medical training. To qualify for CEUs, all classes or trainings must be approved by the State of Oregon's Adult Foster Home Training Credit Committee or by the ACHP. Make sure the trainings are approved for the population you are licensed to serve. You can find CEU courses in a variety of places:
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| DD Basic Training Module Verification Sheet | IDD caregivers | Find the sheet on page three: DD Basic Training Manual 3/2015 (17.77 MB) Edit file |
| Developmental Disabilities Qualifying Test | IDD caregivers | This test is based on the DD Basic Training Manual. Please study the manual before taking this test. If a caregiver applicant fails a qualifying test twice, they must wait 14 days to take the test again. Tests are given on Tuesday twice a month. Call the ACHP at 503-988-3000 to register. |
| Oregon Intervention System (OIS) certification | IDD caregivers in 2B homes only | Fees can range from $100 to $140 per person. Learn more about OIS. |
| Proof of valid driver’s license and car insurance | All caregivers who transport residents in their own cars | This only applies to caregivers who drive with residents. |
More Requirements for Caregivers in Charge or Working Alone
These additional trainings and tests are required for caregivers left in charge and caregivers who are working alone. These requirements must be completed before you are left in charge or work alone.
| Requirements | Caregivers | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Food handlers card | All caregivers left in charge | When getting a food handlers card, make sure it is approved in Oregon. There are a number of fake online courses that say they are approved in Oregon, so be sure to get your card from Multnomah County or one of the approved providers. |
| CPR and first aid certification | All caregivers left in charge | In-person courses are required for both first time certification and renewals. Courses that are online only are not allowed (MCAR 023-070-630). If a portion of the course is provided online, there must be an in-person skills test conducted by a qualified instructor. Approved in-person courses include:
If you want to take a CPR and first aid course from a company that is not on this list, you should call the ACHP at 503-988-3000 and check to make sure it will be accepted. Certification must be renewed as necessary to remain current. |
| English test | All caregivers working alone | The test includes reading and listening assessments. The fee is $23.50. Retests, if needed, are $11.50 each. CASAS provides sample test questions to help testers get familiar with the format and to practice taking the tests.
You may take the test three times within six months. If you fail, you must wait three months from the date of the last failed test to retake the test again. |
| Opioid antagonist training | BH caregivers working alone | Take one of the two approved training options:
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| Fatal Four | IDD caregivers working alone | Take one of the two approved training options:
Instructions to Create Workday Account
If you have already taken Fatal Four and want to take Fatal Five to improve your skills, it counts toward your annual required CEUs. |
| Oregon Intervention System (OIS) certification | Some IDD caregivers working alone | Fees can range from $100 to $140 per person. Learn more about OIS. |
Resources for Caregivers
As a caregiver working in an adult care home, you have rights:
Oregon Minimum Wage Based on Job Location
The State of Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries shared this information about Employment Law at the 2023 Adult Care Home Conference. Some of this information is useful for caregivers to know:
Human trafficking has been an extremely rare problem in adult foster homes. If you are afraid you are a victim of human trafficking, find help at the National Human Trafficking Hotline.