IMPART Alliance is a coalition of researchers, personal care aides, clients, and agencies working together for solutions to developing a competent home care workforce, improve the lives of PCA’s and the elders they serve, and be a model for the nation.
IMPART is “a Michigan State University led research team that is tackling a problem faced by all of us including our parents, our partners, and ultimately ourselves. The U.S. and Michigan’s populations are rapidly aging which is creating a greater demand for high-quality, lower cost supports and services at home, where most people prefer to live for as long as possible in their later years. Paid personal care assistance beyond what families can provide is often needed but there is a critical shortage of people trained to do this kind of work. Employers are facing serious difficulty in finding, hiring and retaining high-quality direct care workers and personal care aides (PCA’s) and the shortage is expected to become worse as the baby boom generation ages. We need more PCA’s but we also want competent PCA’s who know how to provide support safely and with respect and who like their job and plan to stay in it. Studies clearly show that a stable, trained direct care workforce results in higher worker and client satisfaction and better client health outcomes including fewer falls and emergency department visits. Despite this evidence, no federal PCA competency or training requirements exist.”
IMPART Alliance’s goals:
- Establish partnerships with other agencies throughout Michigan to develop a strong coalition of people in support of a high quality personal aide workforce
- A data base of trained workers
- A curriculum for trainers, and an infrastructure to allow the scaling up of teaching personal care aides statewide.
- Coordinating efforts and developing win-win strategies will increase efficiency, cost-effectiveness and positive outcomes for everyone.
Compassionate Care is proud to have a member on this alliance. Laura Alexander, our Director of Nursing, has been working with this team since its inception. The Alliance recently reached consensus on key issues that they will be addressing over the next 18 months. To stay up-to-date on their progress, be sure to follow their blog. We will also pass along any big advances the Alliance has achieved.
Source: http://www.impartalliance.org/