Free Virtual Training Program on Caring for Children With Complex Medical Needs at Home
DSCC is proud to sponsor the expanded eHomeCare program to help families and home nurses improve their care knowledge and refresh their skills
We are excited to help expand a free online training program on how to care for children with complex medical needs at home.
Research shows that the number of children in need of medically complex care at home is steadily growing. With this growth, there is an urgent need for current and accessible educational resources to ensure the quality and safety of care for these children.
We’ve also heard from families and home nurses that they need a way to expand their knowledge about care in the home and refresh their skills.
The Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) is proud to sponsor the expanded eHomeCare program to help meet this need and equip caregivers with the tools and knowledge necessary to provide high-quality care.
The eHomeCare program provides comprehensive, evidence-based information on the care of children with complex medical needs at home. The training is for:
- Family members and caregivers of children with complex medical needs
- Nurses working in home-based environments
- Physicians
- Respiratory therapists
- Students from health professions
- Anyone interested in learning more about caring for children with complex medical needs.
The eHomeCare program consists of eight on-demand courses to enhance the knowledge, skills and confidence of home care providers in the following areas:
- Caring for children with a tracheostomy with or without a ventilator
- Central line care
- Dialysis in home
- Infection control
- Setting boundaries in the home
- Skin care
- Range of motion
- Daily care activities for children
The courses aim to bridge knowledge gaps and enhance caregivers’ confidence and competence in managing both routine and emergency situations.
Please note that the completion of these training courses alone is not enough to demonstrate proficiency in skills that require specialized care (such as caring for a trach, ventilator or central line). If you are interested in becoming trained to provide these cares, please talk to your child’s medical team or home nursing agency.
Parents, extended family members, caregivers and others can use these modules to learn and refresh different skills for caring for their medically complex child in the home setting.
To learn more about the courses and enroll, visit the eHomeCare Online Training Program website.
After participating in the eHomeCare courses, individuals will be able to:
- Describe best practices for providing care and managing common issues for children requiring complex medical care at home.
- Recognize signs and symptoms of complications and determine appropriate responses when caring for children requiring complex medical care at home.
- Demonstrate enhanced confidence and competence in providing care for children requiring complex medical care at home.
- Collaborate effectively with healthcare team members to provide comprehensive and coordinated care for children requiring complex medical care at home.
Free continuing education credits are available.
If you have trouble enrolling in the course or need help, please email help@icep.wisc.edu.
The eHomeCare Program originally started as one course focused on trach and vent care through a partnership of several Wisconsin-based nursing schools and hospitals.
DSCC provided funding and collaboration to expand the eHomeCare training program in response to family feedback on the need for more education and training on caring for children with complex medical needs at home.
We partnered with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to fund the project.
DSCC team members worked with eHomeCare developer Dr. Kim Whitmore and her team at Ujima United to add more courses to the training in collaboration with the Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
We hope the expanded eHomeCare training modules will be a valuable resource for families, caregivers and everyone involved in their children’s complex care at home.