Continuing education · California
Annual Caregiver Training
Five short sections and one short final test, every year. Your certificate is issued as soon as you pass. Annual training is separate from new-caregiver training.
Dementia care is included now, ahead of the January 1, 2027 requirement. Employers adapt the activities to the people served and verify actual training hours.
Section 1
Client rights, dignity and safety
Respect choices and refusals, protect privacy, prevent restraint and isolation, and keep the home ready for emergencies.
Section 2
Daily living needs and changes in condition
Help with bathing, dressing, toileting, eating, and skin care in a way that builds independence, and report changes early.
Section 3
Recognizing, preventing and reporting abuse
Recognize the types and signs of elder and dependent adult abuse, report through the correct channel in time, and prevent abuse, including caregiver burnout.
Section 4
Personal hygiene and infection prevention
Provide respectful personal care, oral and skin care, and keep germs from spreading between tasks, rooms, and people.
Section 5
Dementia care and safe community support
Understand dementia, communicate in ways that reduce distress, respond to behavior as communication, prevent wandering and other risks, and keep outings safe.
How the annual course works
Read the five sections in order (you can listen to them too), then take one short final test. Pass it and your certificate is issued right away. It counts for your current work year, based on your hire date.
Reference resources and course guidance
Course version 2026.1 · Content updated October 5, 2026. Use the relevant resource during each guided section. Clinical and equipment skills require assignment-specific training.
- California annual training requirements
- CDC: fall prevention
- National Institute on Aging: everyday care and dementia
- CDSS: current SOC 341 reporting instructions
- Find county Adult Protective Services
- CDC: hand hygiene
- Alzheimer’s Association: caregiving
- LA County: how to report elder and dependent adult abuse
- Skills competency checklist
Dementia is included in this course now and is expressly required in annual training from January 1, 2027. Transportation instruction must match the services actually provided.