Elders Matter: Career Training to Serve Aging Ohioans
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Date
2019-04
Authors
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ohio State University. Office of Outreach and Engagement
Abstract
The shortage of qualified long-term care employees, a negative stigma surrounding working with the aged, and the projected exponential increase in the aging population in Ohio has converged to create a complex challenge in the elder care industry. Ohio State's Alber Enterprise Center vowed to combat these challenges and improve the quality of care for Ohio's seniors. In 2017, they successfully piloted the non-credit Elder Care Certificate (ECC) program for front-line, non-clinical staff in long-term care and residential communities. To prepare the current and future workforce for rewarding careers in elder care, Alber is now rolling out a licensed version of ECC with the opportunity for outside trainers to become certified to teach it. Learn how you can become part of the movement to improve the lives of elders in senior living communities!
Description
The shortage of qualified long-term care employees, a negative stigma surrounding working with the aged, and the increasing aging population in Ohio has converged to create a complex challenge. LeadingAge Ohio (LAO) reports that our state will see an increase in residents aged 65+ to more than 2.7 million by 2032. As this increase is occurring, there is a shortage of long-term direct care staff and a negative stigma surrounding elder care. "This workforce is ‘in crisis’ due to…high turnover, poor working conditions, inadequate training and low pay," stated LAO. To combat these challenges and to improve the quality of elder care throughout Ohio, in 2017, Ohio State's Alber Enterprise Center partnered with four long-term care organizations to successfully pilot the non-credit Elder Care Certificate (ECC) program for front-line, non-clinical staff in long-term care and residential communities. The content focused on increasing the workers’ knowledge base in gerontology and developing their soft skills. Program evaluation of the pilot program in 2017 from both participants and employers revealed that it made a significant impact on the participants, the employers, and the elders they serve. Follow-up discussions with industry leaders have been positive. One participating employer stated, "It (ECC) provides a foundational point of reference for the different aspects of aging that each employee will encounter …." Participants also found the program very beneficial. "The thing that touched and inspired us the most is that it changed our attitudes and the way we look at residents," stated one. Because of its initial success, the ECC program is now being endorsed by LAO and has attracted interest from not only long-term care organizations but also internal Ohio State units and several career centers. To prepare the current and future workforce for rewarding careers in elder care, Alber is now rolling out a licensed version of ECC with the opportunity for outside trainers to become certified to teach it by attending the ECC Train the Trainer (ECC TtT) program. The ECC TtT curriculum has been developed to provide Extension educators, qualified trainers in private elder care communities as well as high school teachers with the necessary tools and skills to deliver the full ECC program.
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Anne Johnson, senior organizaton development consultant, Ohio State Alber Enterprise Center, johnson.6754@osu.edu (Corresponding Author); Myra Wilson, director, Ohio State Alber Enterprise Center
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Anne Johnson, senior organizaton development consultant, Ohio State Alber Enterprise Center, johnson.6754@osu.edu (Corresponding Author); Myra Wilson, director, Ohio State Alber Enterprise Center
Keywords
aging, elder care, workforce, non-credit training
Citation
Engaged Scholars, v. 7 (2019).