Bills Target Long-Term Care Staff

I wanted to share some exciting news for those of us in eldercare. Two pending bills, one in the Congress and one in the Senate address the need to prepare for the aging population and the lack of geriatric prepared staff. The bill is titled the Retooling the Health Care Workforce for an Aging American Act of 2009. It will ask for studies to look at the aging service network, ways to reduce turnover and improve staff retention in long-term care, and track the NIH's spending on illness affecting the elderly.
Provisions of the bill would create a Geriatric Career Incentive Award and expand the Geriatric Academic Career Awards. It also creates stipends for long-term care nursing assistants, home health aides, and personal or home health aides wanted to earn higher degrees or take classes in gerontology.
Please write your senator and representatives and ask them to vote for this important bill as part of the comprehensive health plan in the works.