“Mercyhurst's Mandate in Geriatric Nursing Education” Report The Hirtzel Institute on Health Education and Aging recently conducted an unprecedented study tracking workforce trends among nurses and their employers in an eight county region surrounding Erie County. Over 200 nurses responded to an electronic survey and focus groups to yield a “rich agenda in health and nursing education for the region,” according to researcher and author Dr. Linda Rhodes. The report presents wage data, workforce trends among RN and LPNs, demographics, service demand data, skill and educational needs of nurses in long term care cited by directors of nursing, administrators, nurses and Mercyhurst North East graduates. To review the study in PDF format click here. Continuing Education Credits for Nurses, Physicians and Pharmacists on Medicare Part D available online now! This program is designed to educate physicians, nurses, and pharmacists on the new Medicare prescription drug coverage implementation procedures and explain how the healthcare practitioner is affected. Upon completion of this program, the participant should be able to: Explain the choices and benefits that the new Medicare prescription drug coverage offers to all people with Medicare. Review the extra help available to assist those with limited income and resources with the costs of Medicare prescription drugs. Assist patients in comparing Medicare prescription drug plans that will be available in their service area and in choosing the plan that will meet their needs. Counsel patients about how to seek answers to their questions, apply for extra help, and join a Medicare prescription drug plan. Check it out at www.learnmedicare.com Help with Medicare Part D This is a four part series taken from Dr. Rhodes' award winning newspaper column, Our Parents, Ourselves. Learn what to look for in a plan, discover the "nuts and bolts" of Medicare Part D and find out how to apply for "extra help." Click Here. Culture Change Movement in Nursing Homes -Why it Matters to Nurses Dr. Linda Rhodes, Hirtzel Institute Director recently presented a two-hour program on the Culture Change Movement in Nursing Homes - Why it Matters to Nurses for the practical nursing students at Mercyhurst North East. Learn about the culture change movement, Person Directed Care Plans, how you can tell a "culture change" nursing home, and how every nurse can make a difference humanizing their work and care environment. Websites and resources are cited for further study and action. You can view her powerpoint presentation by clicking here. State Health Improvement Plans In July 2001, the Department of Health issued the State Health Improvement Plan - SHIP 2001-2005, a model for health planning in Pennsylvania. SHIP emphasizes the prevention of disease and disability, the coordination of resources, interagency collaboration, and improved government responsiveness to community health planning priorities. The Department issues robust reports covering such topics as: SHIP and Healthy People 2010 Objectives State Health Improvement Plan 2001-2005 SHIP Health Care Work Force Reports SHIP Special Report on the Health Status of Minorities in Pennsylvania SHIP Special Report and Plan to Improve Rural Health Status SHIP Student Research Paper Competition SHIP Related Links To view any of these studies, Click here. Online Resources in Aging and Health Education This list offers nearly fifty web sites that are of interest to professionals in the fields of aging and health education. Government sites, professional associations, databases and the Pennsylvania Bulletin are among the sites described and linked. Click here to access online resources. New Tool to Test Older Driver Skills at Home The American Automobile Association has created a CD-ROM that helps older drivers measure their ability and fitness for driving in visual, mental and physical responses. You can take this in the privacy of your own home on a personal computer. Call your local AAA to purchase a copy. Go to their national web site at www.aaa.com to locate an office nearest you. Physician's Guide to Assessing and Counseling Older Drivers The American Medical Association offers an excellent CD-ROM on how to counsel and assess older patients regarding their driving ability. Great for any doctor in family practice seeing older patients. Available through the American Medical Association web site. Click Here. Older Workers in Direct Care: A Labor Force Expansion Study This new Better Jobs, Better Care study is the first to explore the feasibility of engaging older workers in long-term care direct care work to deal with the growing worker shortage in long term care. The research team conducted telephone interviews with 615 nursing home representatives, 410 home health agencies and 696 lower income job seekers 55 years older, drawn from the seven states that house Operation ABLE programs (Technology training for older workers, many of whom are lower-income job seekers seeking retraining and employment.) Click here for Executive Summary. Impact of the Aging Population on the Health Workforce in the United States Center for Health Workforce Studies of the School of Public Health, University at Albany releases report on the impact of the aging population on the health workforce This report profiles the broad impact that aging Americans will have on the health workforce in general, and on 18 health professions, specifically. More qualitative issues, including general and specialty preparation and service delivery structures to meet the needs of the next generation of older adults, are also considered. The report discusses salient trends and issues in both the health care workforce overall and in specific health occupations and professions; creates a baseline of information about the workforce that serves older adults; and identifies key factors expected to have an impact on the ability of the health care system to meet the future health care needs of older adults in the U.S. Key findings related to the health workforce include: Most health professionals receive limited training on care to the elderly Many health professions are aging rapidly Many health professions lack diversity Future shortages of health workers to serve the elderly are likely Future demand for health care professionals and paraprofessionals to serve the elderly will be affected by: Health insurance reimbursement policies Emerging technologies New models of care Changes in profession-specific scope of practice. Download the full report