In Poland, some caregivers must complete a first-aid course by November 5 — Interia

In Poland, caregivers who provided home care services before the new standards came into force must complete first-aid training by November 5, 2026. The requirement applies to services assigned by a municipality within the social assistance system. This was reported by Interia.

New care standards

In August, a regulation of the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy on standards for providing care services at a person’s place of residence came into force in the country. The document defines what support elderly people and people unable to care for themselves should receive, and also establishes quality control for such services.

Caregivers’ duties include assistance with dressing, preparing meals, cleaning, shopping, doctor visits, rehabilitation and handling matters at institutions. The standards also cover hygiene care, including assistance with bathing and using the toilet, as well as the prevention of bedsores.

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A caregiver may assist with taking medication, measure blood pressure, blood sugar and oxygen saturation, and apply simple dressings if these actions do not require specialized medical knowledge or qualifications. The document also provides for maintaining beneficiaries’ social contacts — walks, conversations and assistance with using books, libraries and cultural institutions.

Who the training applies to

The standards must be followed by social assistance centers, social services centers and other institutions that organize care on behalf of municipalities. Private caregivers hired and paid directly by a family are not automatically required to undergo first-aid training, and the November 5 deadline does not apply to them.

The rules also stipulate that a caregiver must be an adult, must not be a member of the beneficiary’s family, and must submit a declaration of psychophysical fitness for such work. For people who had already provided services before the introduction of the new standards, the deadline for submitting this declaration expired on September 5, 2026. According to the publication, when care is organized by local social assistance centers, the cost of training is usually covered by the service organizer.