Whether you’re fresh out of high school, a recent graduate from a healthcare career college or you’re considering a rewarding career change—The Kensington Falls Church wants to work with you.
Don’t have your CNA, HHA or PCA yet? No worries! Our training program allows you to get on-the-job experience without certification, and provides you the foundational skills you’ll need to get those degrees.
Further your healthcare career as a CNA, LPN, RN, Healthcare Admin or even as a caregiver for your family member one day.
Our Direct Training Program is more than an exciting job opportunity—it’s an invitation to immerse yourself in an environment that values learning and delivering exceptional care.
The Direct Care Training Program
The healthcare industry is a vast landscape teeming with opportunities for people with a passion and dedication to making a difference in the lives of seniors.
In 2021, in response to the pandemic and the need for more trained healthcare professionals, The Kensington Falls Church initiated a comprehensive Direct Care Training Program.
Our goal with the program is to empower those pursuing a career in healthcare with the skills, mentorship, and supportive environment necessary to be successful.
Our Direct Care Training Program is specifically aimed at providing exceptional memory care and assisted living care for recent high school or college graduates, CNAs, HHAs, PCAs, LPN nursing students, and anyone looking to start their healthcare career.
The curriculum is broad-ranging and requires a five day training commitment that’s paid and in-person, as well as at least six months post-completion of training.
The program offers an opportunity to learn about everything from practical care techniques to the neuroscience behind brain changes caused by Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
How to become a Care Partner
- Interview and community tour: Sign up for a group interview and tour our community in Falls Church, Virginia. Meet the team, experience the culture, and feel the Kensington Difference firsthand. The interview helps us understand your passion and aptitude for caregiving.
- Job preview: During the job preview, applicants shadow our current Care Partners, engage with residents one-on-one, and truly immerse themselves in the role of Care Partner. This step lasts about 1-2 hours.
- Hiring Process: Applicants will complete hiring paperwork with our Manager of Team Member Services, which includes a background check, a drug screening, and TB test. The hiring process takes about 1-2 weeks.
- Attend Direct Care Training: As you proceed through the program, you’ll be informed of your position’s specific training details and the time commitment it will require. Depending on your role, it may be a part-time or full-time job with a six-month commitment. If you’re currently working more than one job, you’ll need to be available for all five days of the training.
- Graduation and onboarding: After the Direct Care Training, new graduates and team members will have additional training with Lead Care Partners and Neighborhood Managers specific to their neighborhood and schedule. We want our new team members to feel successful and up for any challenge!
Curriculum overview
Once you’re officially hired as a new team member, you’re ready to start Direct Care Training! Our comprehensive curriculum is designed to educate you on the necessary knowledge and skill sets for a successful healthcare career.
- Residential rights, HIPAA, and elder abuse: You’ll need to understand the rights of our residents to provide respectful and lawful healthcare. We cover topics such as privacy, abuse prevention, and how to handle sensitive information properly.
- Infection control: As a caregiver, you’ll need to maintain a safe and sterile environment. You’ll learn about essential topics such as hand hygiene, common infections, precautions to take, and how to prevent foodborne illnesses.
- Aging 101: This section will help you understand the changes our brains undergo as we age, especially if they are affected by dementia or other memory loss conditions.
- Teepa Snow, PAC, and dementia care practices: You’ll learn hands-on techniques such as the Hand-Under-Hand technique and other Teepa Snow-approved Positive Approach to Care curricula.
- Oral care: Learn the best tips and tricks for brushing a resident’s teeth, by practicing brushing other student’s teeth as you role-play as a team member and resident during this portion of the training.
- Special healthcare needs among seniors: This part of the training will cover common conditions we encounter in a memory care community, including dementia, depression, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), and how to provide tailored care.
- Sensitive topics: such as intimacy in seniors, dying and the end of life decisions, and the importance of comfort care.
- Nursing documentation and uniform assessment instrument and service plan: These are tools to provide consistent, personalized care for each resident.
- Rehabilitation program and transfer training with Powerback Rehab: Our partnership with Powerback Rehab will teach you how to assist residents in their daily life or recovery after medical events, such as surgery, to improve their mobility.
Hands-on practice and job shadowing
We strongly believe in learning by doing. Our program includes hands-on practice opportunities and two days of job shadowing with our current team members.
This gives you the chance to apply what you’ve learned in your Direct Care Training Program and help you transition from theory to practice smoothly.
Potential career opportunities from our Direct Care Training Program
Completing the Direct Care Training Program is just the start of your career at The Kensington Falls Church.
Our program is designed to open doors for future growth within our community. Upon completion, you’ll join us as a Care Partner, but the opportunities don’t stop there.
Depending on your career goals, you could grow into roles such as Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Registered Nurse (RN), Life Enrichment specialist or Music Therapist, Neighborhood Manager or Director for Assisted Living and Memory Care.
Join our Direct Training Program today!
The Kensington Falls Church is passionate about supporting your growth and helping you reach your full potential.
As a Care Partner, you’ll play a crucial role in enhancing our residents’ quality of life.
Your duties will be wide-ranging and include:
- Helping residents with their daily activities
- Ensuring they’re engaged and living their best lives
- Building relationships residents and their families
- Supporting your co-workers in Dining and Life Enrichment
Are you ready to begin a rewarding career path in senior healthcare, providing the highest level of care to seniors within our community?
The Kensington Falls Church’s next Direct Care Training will take place in October.
Our Direct Care Training Program is fueled by Our Promise to love and care for your family as we do our own—and this extends to our team members too.
We’re eager to welcome you to our team as part of our Kensington Family.