Geriatrics Department awarded $ 5 million grant for ‘ agefriendly ’ workforce training
By Audrey Post , FSU College of Medicine
Older Americans are steadily becoming more dominant in the population , and nowhere is the pace increasing faster than in Florida . By 2040 , the Sunshine State is expected to have almost 7 million older adults , with more than 1.2 million of those age 85 or older .
The Department of Geriatrics at the Florida State University College of Medicine continues to lead efforts to reshape health care to serve older patients ’ unique needs . It was recently awarded a five-year , $ 5 million grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration ( HRSA ).
HRSA ’ s Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program ( GWEP ) funds only two programs in Florida , and this is the third grant for the FSU-based North and Central Florida GWEP ( NCF-GWEP ) since its inception in 2015 . Florida has the highest percentage of older adults of any state in the U . S ., and the number of older adults moving to Florida from other states continues to increase .
“ Nationally , geriatrics experts have been putting their heads together , knowing there will never be enough geriatricians to go around , to find out ‘ What are we asking all health care services to do related to care of older adults ?’” said Professor Lisa Granville , M . D ., a nationally renowned geriatrician , chair of the College of Medicine ’ s Department of Geriatrics and principal investigator .
What resulted was the concept of an age-friendly health system , of which a key component is incorporating the 4M ’ s : What Matters Most to older adults ; Medication ; Mobility ; and Mentation , or mind health .
Through partnerships across the health care professions as well as with community , state and national organizations , GWEP specifically focuses on developing age-friendly health systems and dementia-friendly communities by training the geriatrics workforce and community to better meet the needs of older adults . The Geriatrics Department in the College of Medicine is uniquely positioned to coordinate and lead this effort ; part of the college ’ s mission is to train exemplary physicians to provide patient-centered care for the underserved , particularly elder , rural and minority residents .
“ When you agree to be age-friendly , you put into place systems where you are diligent about addressing all four of those M ’ s ,” Granville said . “ You may have screening systems in place where you are routinely asking older adults , ‘ Have you fallen in the last year or since our last visit ?’”
Falling is the fifth leading cause of death for older adults , she said . “ Many people don ’ t realize that half of older adults who fall can ’ t get back up by themselves , and it ’ s not because they were injured necessarily ; it can be limited strength and flexibility that existed before the fall .”
Other processes may screen for cognitive impairment and depression , look for opportunities to reduce medications and identify other ways to improve quality of life . A goal is to avoid health care-related harms an older patient may be more vulnerable to .
The most recent grant is funding four projects , which among them have about a dozen programs and partnerships :
• Dementia outreach expansion and supportive care worker training through statewide partnerships with state agency initiatives . Individual programs include dementia sensitivity training for transportation providers , rural-focused planning for dementia-friendly programming , family care partner education and outreach , and training opportunities for health care professionals .
• Career advancement for supportive care workers and nurses . Programs include specialized training for certified nursing assistants ( CNAs ), medical assistants and undergraduate nursing students in health care issues of older patients , developing a geriatrics certificate pathway for hospice CNAs , creating a 4M ' s geriatrics care curriculum for nursing students and medical assistants , and developing a post-baccalaureate geriatrics nursing certificate .
• The next phase of transforming federally qualified health centers into age-friendly health systems , which was started with previous HRSA grant cycles beginning in 2015 . Programs emphasize the 4M ' s of geriatric patient-centered care across all levels of staff with environmental enhancements . Data collection identifies care gaps and monitors improvements , trainings focus on evolving needs of longer-lived populations , and specific quality improvement initiatives will occur . Another goal is to connect partnering clinics with outside resources to increase access to services and supports for older adults .
20 FSUMED