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Talking with a professional caregiver will give you a sense of what the everyday requirements and difficulties of the job are so that you can determine if this is the right position for you. Getting the insight from someone who does the job every day can be very helpful to manage your expectations. As part of your research, you'll want to test out if this is the right career choice for you. You can volunteer at a hospital or look for other volunteer opportunities in your area. Volunteering as a personal caregiver will also help you build your resume for future employment opportunities. A good place to start looking for volunteer opportunities is through your Area Agency on Aging. You can search the National Association for Area Agencies on Aging to find out more details on your local agency. Each state has different licensing requirements for at home caregivers. Knowing these in advance will help you determine what certification programs or degrees are a good fit for you. There are also a number of roles you can take on as a personal caregiver, such as becoming a Companion Caregiver, Home Health Aide, or Certified Nursing Aide. It would be a good idea to look into training and certification processes for these different roles. As with any kind of health care position, you'll need to know the basics. You can take CPR courses in person or online through the American Red Cross.. While many home care agencies offer training, if you choose a different work environment, you may be responsible for your own training. There are many routes you might take to become a certified personal caregiver. If your state requires certification, there are a number of affordable online courses you can take. The Institute for Professional Care Education, for instance, offers a 40 hour certification program and cost just under a hundred dollars. You can also find a course that will prepare you to be a home health aide through the American Red Cross website. The Family Caregiver Alliance also offers courses. Even if your state does not require a degree to become a professional caregiver, becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) will give you more job options. A CNA program takes only 6 to 12 weeks. Before entering a CNA program, you will need to have earned a high school diploma or GED. Most community colleges offer a CNA program. You can search for programs in your area or online through the All Allied Heath Schools' website. After completing your CNA training, you will need to take your state CNA certification exam. Usually, your CNA program will offer the certification exam. Even after passing your CNA certification exam, you will likely need to take continuing education courses. Fourty-eight hours every two years is the typical requirement for most states. You'll fist want to decide which kind of work environment is best for you. Personal caregivers are hired for a number of places, such as nursing homes, home care agencies, families (for in home care), assisted living facilities, and so forth. Make a list of facilities in your area that may be hiring. A good place to start is the government website for Medicare, which allows you to search for nursing homes across the U.S. The National Association for Home Care & Hospice Agency Locator is another great resource that you can use to locate your potential workplace. You can search websites such as Indeed.com for jobs as a personal caregiver, or you can search through home care agencies such as Comfort Keepers or Senior Helpers. Consider non-agency positions where you would work for an individual directly. In some cases, a state agency may be in place to put personal caregivers in touch with people on Medicaid. See if your state has a Home Care Referral Registry.

summary: Talk with someone in the field. Volunteer. Look up your state's certification requirements. Learn CPR. Get certified. Earn a CNA degree. Take the CNA certification exam. Search for a job.

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You can treat a pilonidal cyst with at-home treatments. The at-home treatments are best done as soon as you feel any swelling or tenderness that may indicate a pilonidal cyst is forming. If it is showing signs of infection, see your doctor. Wash your hands carefully before and after applications of any or the home remedies. Signs of infection include redness, swelling, pain, warmth around the area, and a white, foul-smelling pus that may look like cheese. A warm compress can help treat the pilonidal cyst. The warmth can help reduce pain and swelling. The dampness from the compress can help soften the cyst. Take a clean washcloth and soak it in warm water. Apply the warm compress to the cyst at least four times a day for at least 10 minutes. If you want, you can soak the cotton in diluted chamomile tea ( cup of water and cup of chamomile tea steeped for 10 minutes) or diluted apple cider vinegar (equal volumes or apple cider vinegar and boiled then cooled water). You can also add a few drops of the essential oils to the water before soaking the rag. You can also make a warm compress by soaking a chamomile tea bag. Apply the warm tea bag directly on the cyst. Chamomile tea helps promote healing. The essential oils used to treat pilonidal cysts, such as tea tree or turmeric oil, have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, which help reduce the swelling and the chance of infection. Many of these oils are used to treat cystic acne and other types of infected cysts as well as used to reduce inflammation. Essential oils you can use to treat pilonidal cysts include tea tree oil, turmeric oil, garlic oil, and frankincense oil. Castor oil is commonly used as an anti-inflammatory agent and to soften the cyst. It may also be helpful in speeding the healing of a cyst. The essential oils can be applied directly onto the cyst, though you can also mix them with castor using three parts essential oil and seven parts castor oil. Use a cotton ball or a Q-tip for application. Apply to the cyst four times daily. You may cover the cyst with a bandage after application of the oil. If no improvement is seen with one to two weeks, contact your physician for advice. You can dab witch hazel or apple cider vinegar on the cyst to help heal it by drying out. Witch hazel will help dry out the cyst because of the astringent qualities of the tannins found in it. Apple cider vinegar also has astringent properties. Apple cider vinegar and witch hazel also help to fight infections. If it stings or your skin seems to be sensitive to the apple cider vinegar, dilute the vinegar with an equal amount of water. Just apply with a cotton ball or a Q-tip. Dry burdock root can help draw out the proteins in the cyst. Burdock can be used to dry out the cyst, and is a common herbal remedy for skin conditions. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of dried burdock root with one tablespoon of honey. Apply to the cyst. The honey is an antimicrobial substance and will also draw out the material in the cyst. Bloodroot has been used traditionally in Native American medicine to treat skin disorders. You can mix teaspoon of bloodroot powder with two tablespoons of castor oil. Use a Q-tip to apply directly on the cyst. Use only small amounts of bloodroot and only on intact skin with no breaks or cuts in the skin. It should not be taken internally and should not be used around the eyes, mouth, or around the genitals.
summary: Start treating the cyst when it starts to form. Make a warm compress. Use essential oils. Apply drying agents. Use burdock root. Try bloodroot.