The Future of the Home Care Workforce: Training and Supporting Home Health Aides as Members of Home-Based Care Teams
According to a study article published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, in-home health aides and caregivers can potentially be integrated into the larger care team that is managing the health of high-risk older adults. This blog summarizes a pilot program that was conducted with the Center for Caregiver Advancement (CCA) to train home health aides in monitoring a consumer’s health condition at home and reporting their observations to the clinical care team.
Care Team Integration of the Home-Based Workforce: Health Aides and In-Home Caregivers
Study Authors: Robyn I. Stone, Natasha S. Bryant
Under a 3-year $12 million CMS grant, the CCA (formerly the California Long-Term Care Education Center, or CLTCEC) piloted the Care Team Integration of the Home-Based Workforce program with more than 6,000 high-risk older patients and their home care aides in three California counties.
A 17-module 75-hour program trained the aides in how to monitor health conditions and medication adherence, communicate with patients and team members, and coach and navigate the health system. Each module contained an integration activity where aides practiced identifying a problem and communicating their observations to the care team through role playing and discussions.
Trainers assessed the aides’ competencies through hands-on competency checks, a review of at-home assignments, and evaluation of role playing. Aides were recorded as part of the care team in their patients’ electronic medical records, and all participating health plans and medical groups were educated about the training program and the goal of integrating aides into team-based care.
This is curated content using information from the original article. For details, please read the published article online in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Source Citation: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Volume67, Issue S2, Special Issue: Workforce for Seriously Ill Older Adults in the Community, May 2019, Pages S444-S448. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.15846 Read the original article.
About the Center for Caregiver Advancement
The Center for Caregiver Advancement (CCA) is committed to building the workforce of highly trained caregivers that many Californians can’t live without. CCA is the state’s most experienced provider of free, accessible caregiver training that focuses on a supportive, experience-based learning environment. Research studies on the impact of our caregiver training programs help to advance policy initiatives to develop career pathway opportunities and build professionalization within long-term care. For more information about CCA, we invite you to explore our caregiver training programs, news updates, and caregiving impact stories.
Image Credits: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Wiley
