Personal Caregiver

Certificate 1 month

Personal Caregiver Certificate

If you're looking for a career in healthcare that allows you to work directly with people, you can pursue that passion with Penn Foster’s online Personal Caregiver Certificate. Study with the support of helpful instructors and faculty, with a program that offers engaging visual learning aids and interactive assessments to help you practice as you go.

Personal caregivers and home health aides are in high demand, with 924,000 new roles becoming available throughout the next decade*.
The program has no education prerequisites, and can be completed in as little as two months.
This program can be completed at home, at your own pace, through our custom-designed, mobile-friendly student portal- available 24/7.
Our online programs are flexible enough for you to finish them at a pace that works for you, based on how much time you can dedicate to your coursework each week.

Accredited

Online

Self Paced

Cost of Program

$299

$329 Save $30

$49/month, Start for as low as $29

Enroll Now Request Info

1-800-275-4410 (9AM - 9PM EST)

caregiver hugging patient in wheelchair.

What You Will Learn

The importance of human interaction, including verbal and nonverbal communication, the communication feedback loop, barriers, cultural competence, and effective communication techniques.
How to assist in the care of a family member or friend.
How law affects medical practitioners, the origin of law that affects medical professionals, and the basics of the process of litigation and its alternatives.
How to provide personal care to patients to meet their physical needs.

Full Program Goal & Outcomes

Personal Caregiver Career Outcomes

Personal Caregiver

AVG SALARY*

$29,430/yr

NUMBER OF JOBS*

3,636,900

JOB GROWTH*

25%

Penn Foster's Personal Caregiver Certificate Program is designed with job-readiness in mind. Study the skills you need in order to care for the mental, physical, and emotional health of someone in need. However, it's also important to note that the completion of a certificate-level program alone may not qualify you for employment in the field but can be used to supplement current education and experience, or for personal use.

State Licensing Requirements

Licensing and/or certification requirements for jobs in certain fields are not the same in every state and may include educational, testing, and/or experiential requirements beyond those offered by your Penn Foster Program. You should contact the state professional licensing board or similar regulatory body in the state(s) where you plan to work to determine their requirements before enrolling in your program. See the State Licensing page for contact information for state licensing/regulatory boards and certain industry licensing information.

Personal Caregiver Certificate Curriculum

22.7 continuing education units (CEUs)
14 exams
5 courses

Estimated completion time:

Fast track = 1 month
Average time = 3 months

With Penn Foster, you can learn at whatever pace works best for you. Some learners will be more comfortable moving faster, and dedicating more time, and the fast track estimate will apply to them. The average track will apply to most learners who can dedicate a few hours per week to completing their coursework.

In our Personal Caregiver Certificate Program, you'll learn the skills and get the interactive personal caregiving training required to pursue a career in this field. Your courses include:

Introduction to Allied Health
Therapeutic Communication
Law, Ethics, and Confidentiality in Allied Health
Home Care Procedures
Meeting Clients' Needs

Show Full Curriculum

Personal Caregiver Success Stories

Penn Foster’s Personal Caregiver Program can help prepare you for a career in the healthcare industry. This program has helped recent graduates learn at their own pace, find new jobs, and pursue a new career. Learn more about their experiences and how Penn Foster worked for them.

View Student Success Stories

Tom C.

2018 Penn Foster Graduate

"Penn Foster is the best and most effective way to change your life and education."

Looking for healthcare training for your workers?

Penn Foster currently works with hundreds of leading employers to meet their unique organizational needs.

Learn More

Caregiver Training Tuition

The total cost of tuition for your online Personal Caregiver Certificate Program covers the cost of your studies and any digital textbooks and study materials included in your program. Choose from one of our customized payment options below and get started today.

Option 1: Pay in full

Cost of Program

$299

$329 Save $30

Best price. Best value.
Pay the full cost today
No monthly payments

Enroll Now

Option 2: Monthly Auto Pay Plan

Cost of Program

$329

Pay $49 per month
Start for $29 down
Credit card, PayPal, or ACH from bank account

Enroll Now

Our Proven Healthcare Learning Model

Empowering students to reach their professional goals

Flexible

Enroll anytime
Self-paced schedule
Payment plans

Interactive

Video and whiteboard animations
Expert instructors
Live support

Connected

Peer support
Vibrant student community
Student Portal Help Center

Supportive

Career services
Dedicated student services
Robust learning resources

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patient greets home nurse at front door.

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Personal Caregiver Certificate FAQs

How do I become a personal caregiver online?

Through Penn Foster's online Personal Caregiver Program, you can train online, at your own pace for a career as a personal caregiver.

How long does it take to get a personal caregiver certificate?

On average, it takes students between 4-6 months to complete their online personal caregiver training courses at Penn Foster.

How much can you make as a personal caregiver?

According to the most recently published Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the average personal caregiver salary is $29,430 per year.*

What are the top duties and responsibilities of a caregiver?

Personal caregivers are the individuals who monitor the condition of people with disabilities or chronic illnesses such as Alzheimer's or dementia and help them with daily living activities. Personal caregivers not only provide care for the elderly they care for those of any age who may have special needs.

Disclaimers:

The completion of a certificate-level program does not typically qualify a student for employment. Completion of this program may assist students who have previous academic or work-related experience improve their chances for promotion or entry-level employment.

Sources:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. "Home Health and Personal Care Aides." Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed September 26, 2022.

Statements found in the United States Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook are not a guarantee of any post-graduation salary, in part because the data used to create the Occupational Outlook Handbook includes workers from differing educational backgrounds, levels of experience, and geographic areas of the country.