LeadingAge Ohio is excited to share with you the first edition of our legislative newsletter -
The Aging Advocate
. This monthly publication is designed to share with you what's going on in the world of aging and give you a peek at LeadingAge Ohio's 400+ members around the state.
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- Public officials gather in North Ridgeville to celebrate apprenticeships
- 'Careers That Love You Back' poster program goes live
- 'Employer of Choice' organizations exemplifying workforce excellence
- Leading Faithfully discussions engage Ohio clergy on elder abuse
- And more!
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Public Officials Gather in North Ridgeville to Celebrate Healthcare Apprenticeships
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On September 10th, Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Randy Gardner, State Representative Gayle Manning and other public officials joined LeadingAge Ohio and Lorain County Community College (LCCC) at the LCCC University Partnership Ridge Campus in North Ridgeville to unveil an apprenticeship pathway for State Tested Nursing Assistants (STNAs) and healthcare professionals.
STNAs are the frontline caregivers in aging services and across the healthcare field. Apprentices completing the program will earn 15 college credits, receive 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training, and earn an industry-recognized credential with the opportunity to continue their education on a structured pathway from STNA to LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) to RN (Registered Nurse).
LeadingAge Ohio is working to expand these apprenticeships to community colleges around the state through partnerships
with the
Ohio Association of Community Colleges
. Efforts continue to encourage
more students to take advantage of this cost-effective training for in-demand jobs.
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Lt. Governor Husted applauded the apprenticeships as "
a strong model for the future to help people break into the healthcare industry, supply employers with the talent they need, and provide better care to Ohio patients."
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"This is a celebration of what we can achieve with partnerships in Ohio, especially in allied health careers that really make a difference," explained Chancellor Gardner.
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'Careers That Love You Back' Poster Program Goes Live in Northwest Ohio
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As Ohio's long-term care providers continue to encounter workforce retention and recruitment challenges amidst rising numbers of older adults in Ohio, LeadingAge Ohio has developed a
poster program
to use in recruiting the next generation of caregivers. This program has been active in Fostoria and Tiffin City Schools.
LeadingAge Ohio gathered Ohio Department of Aging Director Ursel McElroy, Rep. Steve Arndt, Rep. Bill Reineke, the Ohio Department of Education's Cassie Palsgrove, educators, and providers for a panel discussion to chat about this initiative and more during In-Demand Jobs Week at Good Shepherd Home in Fostoria -
read on here
.
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'Careers That Love You Back' is a poster program that familiarizes young students with careers in aging as part of their career exploration and promotes awareness of the rewarding careers available within the field.
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The posters use illustrations to describe 21 distinct career paths within aging services and end of life care, such as nursing, home care, accounting, environmental services, hospice, pastoral care, and more.
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The Ohio Department of Education was onsite at Good Shepherd Home the day of the panel discussion filming for their SuccessBound Stories series, which chronicled the impact of the posters among students and teachers and explored the program's potential for success.
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Ohio's Assisted Living Waiver Program
Assisted living combines a home-like setting with personal support services to provide more intensive care than is available through home care services. Assisted living facilities provide older adults with an alternative to nursing facility care that is both less expensive and less restrictive.
Ohio's Assisted Living Waiver Program
pays the costs of care in an assisted living facility for certain people with Medicaid, allowing the consumer to use his or her resources to cover "room and board" expenses. LeadingAge Ohio advocated for an increase to the Ohio Assisted Living Waiver in the state budget this year - which would represent the first increase since the creation of the program over a decade ago.
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'Employer of Choice' Organizations Exemplify Workforce Excellence in Aging Services
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LeadingAge Ohio was proud to announce its members who received an Employer of Choice (EOC) designation through the 2019-2020 LeadingAge Ohio Employer of Choice program. 23 organizations statewide within LeadingAge Ohio’s over 400 members received a gold, silver, or bronze designation in this third year of the program - which highlights workforce excellence in aging services.
Employers of Choice exemplify a high performance culture, demonstrate community engagement, and build leadership effectiveness and stability. The EOC designation assists these organizations in showcasing their staff supports.
LeadingAge Ohio has worked aggressively to mitigate the effects of a statewide workforce crisis in aging services. Organizations who go above and beyond to recruit, retain, and support their team members are making a difference in ensuring that Ohio’s rapidly growing population of older adults have adequate services and supports.
To find out if your district is home to a LeadingAge Ohio Employer of Choice organization, check out our recent press rele
ase
here
.
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Otterbein St. Marys (St. Marys) received top marks in the state - earning them a Gold Employer of Choice designation.
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The Jennings Center for Older Adults (Garfield Heights) celebrated their Silver designation in the Employer of Choice program.
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Leading Faithfully
Discussions Engage with Ohio Clergy on Elder Abuse
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1 in 9 older adults are victims of elder abuse, and for every 1 reported, 5 go unreported. On top of these shocking figures, it has been shown that 50% of all people with dementia are abused or neglected in some way*.
Community clergy are sometimes the first individuals who may become aware of elder abuse or exploitation in their faith communities. LeadingAge Ohio hosted a series of discussions around the state throughout the month of September titled
Leading Faithfully - Mobilizing Clergy to Help Respond to Elder Abuse,
which were designed to “connect the dots” for the faith leaders that serve communities across Ohio.
The objectives of these gatherings included:
- Identifying risk factors that may make individuals more vulnerable to victimization,
- Defining elder abuse and recognizing examples of abuse, and
- Learning at least two ways to respond to suspected elder abuse.
The sessions were facilitated by Kim Vesey (RN, BSN, MS, CHPN), Chief Mission Officer at
Ohio’s Hospice
, and Rev. Beth Long-Higgins (M.Div), Executive Director of the
Ruth Parker Center for Abundant Aging
. LeadingAge Ohio held these sessions in Toledo, Dayton, Columbus, and Cleveland.
*-statistics from the Ohio Attorney General's Office
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Founded in 1937, LeadingAge Ohio is a nonprofit trade association that represents over 400 long-term care organizations and hospices, as well as those providing ancillary health care and housing services, in more than 150 Ohio towns and cities. The continuum of care reflected by the member organizations serve an estimated 400,000 elderly Ohioans daily and employ more than 35,000 persons statewide.
Want to meet with LeadingAge Ohio? Share a story? Visit a provider in your community?
Reach out to LeadingAge Ohio Director of Strategic Communications Patrick Schwartz at [email protected].
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