Senator Tom Carper announced $5 million in federal funding today to support Delaware State University’s Geriatric Workforce Education Program.
The program is a partnership between DSU and Education, Health, Research International, Inc. and will be based at the Milford Wellness Village. Its goal is to build a curriculum that trains workers to care for the First State’s aging population, addressing a gap in the healthcare workforce.
Dean of DSU’s Wesley College of Health and Behavioral Sciences Gwendolyn Scott-Jones says health-care workers need to know how to care for aging populations because people are living longer.
“You're in your 70s, your 80s, that's a blessing,” Scott-Jones said. “That's a blessing, but you should also have a quality of life that's just monumental, as we provide a quality of life for individuals who are younger adults.”
The trainings also address calls from students for more hands-on experience earlier on in their education, Scott-Jones said.
Carper said the health care system often focuses on the health of children and young people, leaving older people’s health overlooked.
The program will include teaching health-care workers and their future colleagues how to best care for people suffering from dementia or other cognitive health-related issues that diminish quality of life.
“We want to make sure that we have a workforce in place who are trained especially to make sure that the health care needs of people who are over 70s, 80s, 90s [are met],” Carper said, “and that they can not just live healthy lives, but actually be contributing citizens. This partnership is going to help make that happen.”
The funds will be spread out over five years.
