Press Releases

12 Community Colleges Win Awards for Innovative Caregiving Programs

NEW YORK — August 25, 2008 — Twelve innovative in-home caregiver training programs are being awarded up to $25,000 through the 2008 Community College Caregiver Training Initiative of the International Longevity Center-USA (ILC-USA)’s Caregiving Project for Older Americans, supported by MetLife Foundation.

“The number of high-quality training programs submitted was exceptional,” Dr. Kenneth Knapp, project manager for the Caregiving Project and senior research analyst at the ILC-USA. “We hope this initiative continues to highlight the important role community colleges can play in training our nation’s professional and family caregivers.”

The need for more training is an urgent one, as increasing numbers of people are finding it difficult to obtain affordable, quality in-home care for older adults. The available pool of family caregivers is shrinking, and at the same time, the caregiving profession is experiencing a severe and worsening shortage of paid caregivers. The Caregiving Project for Older Americans seeks to address this need by encouraging community colleges to develop new, creative programs that train both family and professional in-home caregivers.

“Community colleges are uniquely positioned to help recruit, train and provide personal and professional development opportunities for caregivers,” said Sibyl Jacobson, president of MetLife Foundation. “We’re pleased to support this initiative, which will introduce programs that can serve as models for other colleges interested in providing this important training.”

The winners of the national competition are:

Brookhaven College of Farmers Branch, Texas, which will launch two new training programs: the continuing education program Home Health Care and Hospice Aide and the Family Caregiver, which provides training on best practices in home care and practical solutions for home-based caregivers that can be learned in a short period of time.
Capital Community College of Hartford, Connecticut will introduce a new home care caregiver training program in their Division of Continuing Education’s Health Professions Institute, which will work closely with the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs to identify trainees and volunteers to provide home care to veterans in Hartford County.
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College of Cincinnati, Ohio, which will train participants in Home Health Aide Training and help make them eligible to sit for the state of Ohio’s Nurse Aide Training examination.
GateWay Community College in Phoenix, Arizona, which will expand its recruitment efforts and offer bilingual components to meet the needs of the large Hispanic population in Arizona.
Harford Community College in Bel Air, Maryland, which will create an In-Home Aide Training program as well as offer a conference on caregiving and end-of-life issues, in collaboration with local hospitals, hospice organizations and health care nonprofits.
Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas, which will offer the Advanced Dementia Care Certificate Program to train family caregivers and in-home care workers on long-term home care services to older adults with cognitive deficits due to Alzheimer’s, dementia or stroke.
Kapiolani Community College in Honolulu, Hawaii, which will expand its gerontology program by creating an entry level paraprofessional training, offered through the Kupuna (Elder) Education Center, the first and only community-college based gerontology center in Hawaii.
Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wisconsin, which will introduce the REACH project, expanding the college’s Certified Nursing Assistant program by introducing homecare content into the existing certificate program and creating a new two-day workshop for family home caregivers.
Union County College in Cranford, New Jersey, which will introduce an eldercare initiative that provides technical training, job-related basic education, job development, educational assessment and counseling to job seekers, incumbent workers and volunteer caregivers, with a focus on attracting individuals who might not traditionally see eldercare as a career option.
Southeastern Community College in Whiteville, North Carolina, which will enhance its In-Home Aide and Certificated Nursing Assistant Programs to include home-based care training. Additionally, a resource library and workshops on home-based care will be offered to family caregivers each month.
Southwestern Oregon Community College in Coos Bay, Oregon, which will launch an initiative designed to fill critical gaps in caregiver training that have been identified by the Oregon DHS Seniors & People with Disabilities, including a “train-the-trainers” component and scholarships for low-income family caregivers.
Tulsa Community College in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which will implement a Certified Home Health Aide program as an addition to its existing Certified Nurse Aide program. The college will also offer Caregiving Basics Training to family caregivers.

About The Caregiving Project for Older Americans

The Caregiving Project for Older Americans is an action-oriented collaboration that aims to improve the nation’s caregiving workforce through training, the establishment of standards, and the creation of a career ladder. Bolstering support for family caregivers is another major goal of the project. A joint venture of the International Longevity Center-USA (ILC-USA) and the Schmieding Center for Senior Health & Education (SCSHE), the effort combines the talents of a policy research center with a clinical outpatient and health education program. To learn more about the project visit www.ilcusa.org/prj/caregiving.htm.

About MetLife Foundation

MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 by MetLife to carry on its longstanding tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. In the area of aging, the Foundation funds programs that promote healthy aging and address issues of care giving, intergenerational activities, mental fitness, and volunteerism. More information about the Foundation is available at www.metlife.org.