Investing in California’s Direct Care Workforce by Increasing Geriatric Training Opportunities

The SCAN Foundation, through its 2009 themed request for proposals, supported five grantees to develop a series of continuing education curricula (in-services) for California's direct care workforce.  Today two of the six curricula, in bold, are available for employers of direct care workers to access at no charge.  The other four curricula will be available over the next few months. 

The curricula include:

• Dementia: Understanding and Responding to Behaviors 
• Strengthening Communication and Problem-Solving Competencies for CNAs 
• Care at the End of Life 
• Pills and Spills (Medication and Falls) 
• Strengthening Communication and Building Partnerships with Family Caregivers 
• Managing Pain in Older Adults 

Each of the curricula was developed within a geriatric framework with an approach to adult learning.  There are a number of modules within each topic.  Each contains a trainer guide and training materials (presentation, video, handouts, etc.).  

Funding for this project was provided by The SCAN Foundation as part of the Direct Care Workforce initiative.  

Materials for this series were created by faculty and staff of University of California, Irvine Program in Geriatrics:

Bonnie Olsen, Ph.D., Psychologist, Associate Clinical Professor

Mary Twomey, M.S.W., Co-Director, Center of Excellence on Elder Abuse and Neglect

Elaine Chen, M.S., Coordinator

Chinh Le, M.D., Geriatrician, Associate Clinical Professor

We would like to thank the following for their collaboration:

• The Center for Instructional Systems Development, Coastline Community College 
  • Robert Nash, Director, Instructional Design & Faculty Support
  • Michelle Nieman, Sr. Instructional Designer
  • Coast Learning Systems team
• Coastline Community College Department of Gerontology
  • Lorie Eber, J.D., Adjunct Professor
  • Debbie Secord, Ph.D., Chair
• Talent 
  • Marie Hulett, Voice Over Narration
  • Alisha Chan, Video Actor
  • Phyllis Ehrlich, Video Actor
  • Mary Twomey, Video Actor
• The administrators at UC Irvine School of Medicine and Coastline Community College who made this collaboration possible
• Erin Westphal, Program Officer, The SCAN Foundation
• Alzheimer’s Association-Orange County’s Elder Abuse Prevention Council
• Fountain Care Center’s administrators and staff in Orange, CA
• Salus Home Care’s administrators and staff in Irvine, CA
• Silverado Senior Living’s administrators and staff in Costa Mesa, CA
• All volunteers at our focus groups and pilot training sessions 

For additional information and to view all five series of curricula comprising this initiative, visit http://www.thescanfoundation.org/grants-rfps/direct-care-workforce 

Please click here or on the above banner to be directed to a one-page advertisement for the SCAN DCW modules