CareLaunch Academy
Hands-on, practical courses aligned to South Carolina requirements. Buy one subject at a time — each course recommends what to take next so you keep building real skills.
South Carolina 12-Month Required Curriculum
South Carolina requires home care agencies to train caregivers on a specific topic every month for their first 12 months. This track covers all 12 -- in order -- so agencies can assign them one per month and independent caregivers can work through the full sequence on their own.
Month 1: Confidentiality, Accountability & Abuse/Neglect Prevention
South Carolina's required Month 1 competency topic: client confidentiality and HIPAA basics, your accountability as a caregiver, and how to recognize and report abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
Month 2: Fire Safety & Disaster Preparedness
South Carolina's required Month 2 competency topic: home-specific fire safety, evacuation planning, and emergency preparedness for the client's living environment.
Month 3: First Aid, Medication Monitoring & Recognizing Medical Emergencies
South Carolina's required Month 3 competency topic: basic first aid, how to prompt and monitor medication without administering it, and recognizing signs a client needs urgent medical attention.
Month 4: Documentation & Record Keeping
South Carolina's required Month 4 competency topic: completing task sheets accurately, understanding Electronic Visit Verification (EVV), and knowing what belongs in the participant record.
Month 5: Ethics & Professional Boundaries
South Carolina's required Month 5 competency topic: professional conduct, maintaining appropriate boundaries, and handling difficult situations with clients and families.
Month 6: Understanding Dementia, TBI & Spinal Cord Injury
South Carolina's required Month 6 competency topic: an orientation to dementia, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury, and how each affects a client's care needs.
Month 7: Safe Lifting & Transfer Techniques
South Carolina's required Month 7 competency topic: body mechanics and safe transfer and repositioning methods to protect both you and your client.
Month 8: Infection Control & Preventing Disease Spread
Covers your required infectious disease program elements: what infectious disease is, how it spreads, and how to deliver care safely for both agency and independent caregivers.
Month 9: Understanding Alzheimer's Disease & Working with Behavioral Needs
From the SCDHHS approved topic list: Alzheimer's-specific care strategies and how to respond to common behavioral needs, building on Month 6's dementia orientation.
Month 10: Normal Aging Process & Caring for Bed-Bound Clients
From the SCDHHS approved topic list: positioning, skin care, and common age-related changes for caring for bed-bound and aging clients.
Month 11: Building Trust & Communication with Clients
From the SCDHHS approved topic list: rapport-building, being appropriately assertive, and effective communication techniques with clients and families.
Month 12: Nutrition, Feeding Assistance & Assistive Devices
From the SCDHHS approved topic list: nutrition basics, safe feeding assistance, and common assistive devices used in home care.
More Courses
Personal Care Aide Essentials
In-depth, hands-on personal care skills aligned to South Carolina Medicaid requirements: bathing, dressing, toileting, mobility transfers, feeding assistance, and the annual training topics DHHS requires.
Infection Control & Safety
A deep, practical course on standard precautions, bloodborne pathogens, hand hygiene, PPE, home safety hazards, and emergency response for in-home caregiving.
Caregiver Basics Orientation
A complete foundation for new South Carolina home care caregivers: your role, professional boundaries, communication, safety, and what agencies and clients expect from day one.
Abuse & Neglect Reporting
A thorough, scenario-based course on recognizing and reporting abuse, neglect, self-neglect, and financial exploitation -- required training for SC personal care and companion caregivers.
HIPAA Basics for Home Care
A practical, real-world guide to client privacy: what HIPAA protects, how it applies specifically to in-home caregiving, and how to avoid common privacy mistakes.
Dementia & Alzheimer's Care Fundamentals
A comprehensive, practical guide to caring for clients with dementia or Alzheimer's disease: communication techniques, behavior de-escalation, safety, daily routines, and caregiver wellbeing.
Medication Reminders & Safety
Understand exactly what unlicensed caregivers can and cannot do around medications in South Carolina, how to safely support medication reminders, and how to recognize and respond to medication-related problems.
Fall Prevention & Emergency Response
A hands-on course covering fall risk assessment, home hazard reduction, safe assistance techniques, and how to respond calmly and correctly to common home care emergencies.