February 20, 2025
At Wellspring Personal Care, we are committed to ensuring the ongoing health of the home care sector. This is challenging because, like all healthcare sectors these days, home care agencies face staffing shortages, rising costs, and regulatory and compliance pressures.
Despite these and other challenges, every so often, a spark of innovation illuminates the path forward. One such spark is a new program created by Aishling Dalton-Kelly, an advocate, a mentor, and a passionate force who is driving change in a sector that’s craving transformation. Anyone who’s met Aishling knows she’s a force of nature!
The Aishling Care Academy
Central to Aishling’s impact is the Aishling Care Academy, an Illinois state-certified training program founded by her to equip certified nursing assistants (CNAs) with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide high-quality in-home care for the clients they serve. Aishling’s efforts address a critical gap in our healthcare system, providing targeted training that prepares caregivers to meet the needs of their patients effectively.
The Need: New Training for Dementia Caregivers
Recently, Aishling has extended her expertise into a crucial area of need: a training program for dementia caregivers such as CNAs. Recognizing the confusion among healthcare providers in Illinois regarding the state’s requirements for ongoing training, Aishling developed an innovative online training program specifically designed for dementia care. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) mandates annual training for agencies, such as Wellspring, that are licensed in home service. (Wellspring is also licensed in home nursing.) This training is not just a regulatory requirement—it’s a cornerstone of quality assurance in home care.
Finding programs that satisfy the state’s training requirements for dementia has been a challenge for many in the industry. Although the Alzheimer’s Association offers a training program approved by the IDPH, there was a clear need for additional resources so home care providers could satisfy the requirement and avoid being fined by IDPH.
Aishling’s program meets this need brilliantly, offering a comprehensive and accessible training solution called Dementia Has a Face and a Name. Based on gaming technology, it is designed to be engaging and informative, making it easier for learners to absorb vital information and apply it in their caregiving roles.
This blend of innovation and practical application is exactly what the healthcare sector in Illinois—and nationwide—needs. By blending creativity and problem-solving, Aishling Dalton-Kelly is not just helping our sector comply with existing standards, but setting new ones for our training solutions.
We applaud Aishling Dalton-Kelly’s initiative and can-do attitude. Her work exemplifies the kind of leadership that can transform healthcare. We hope her program inspires similar initiatives here in Illinois and across the country, helping to raise the standard of care and improve the lives of those who depend on us most.