For caregivers acting in a formal or hired capacity as primary caretakers of the elderly, ill, or disabled, staying informed and knowledgeable are keys to success. Knowing how to deal with patients or loved ones who are unable to function independently will go a long way to improving their quality of life while keeping you stress-free. To help keep you informed, we’ve rounded up a few of the best training and educational videos on the web.

Basic Caregiving Skills

Whether you’re caring for a loved one on a full-time basis, are a hired aide, or just live with someone with a medical issue, knowing the basics of medical caretaking is a vital component to ensuring a safe and healthy patient. Learn how to take and record vital signs including temperature, pulse rate, and blood pressure in this training video from the American Red Cross. You’ll also learn how to administer and store medications, as well as how to keep track of this information in a useful way for your loved one’s physician or care nurse:

Caregiver College

Caring for a disabled or frail elderly person can be dangerous to both you and the patient if caution is not taken in even the most basic daily activities. Certified home care workers are extensively trained in these activities that include bathing, dressing, and feeding. If you haven’t been properly trained, or are looking to brush up on your knowledge, consult this informative video on the basics of transferring an elderly person from wheelchair to bed, a car, and the toilet.

In addition to home safety modifications, knowing how to properly transfer your disabled or frail loved one will help in reducing the risk of falls. Check out the entire series produced by the Family Caregiver Alliance on necessary skills including nutrition, dental care, incontinence, and behavioral challenges in the elderly.

Caring for the Caregiver

Being a caregiver is stressful, even for the most well-trained and loving home care workers. For untrained and informal family caregivers, that stress can unexpectedly pile up and result in caregiver burnout. Learn about the stresses that can arise when caring for a loved one long term in this video by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).

Understanding the pressures of providing care can help better equip you to handle them and allow you to consider your options for respite care or professional home care.

Caregiver Comic Relief

If you’re a caregiver and didn’t even know it, you’re not alone. There are 65 million Americans acting as caregivers for loved ones who are ill, disabled, or elderly. Not sure if you’re a caregiver? Jeff Foxworthy and Peter Rosenberger, founder of the Caregivers with Hope organization, help you figure out if you are one in this humorous look at the realities of life as a caregiver: