Over $200 Million to Improve Care for Older Adults
Funding focuses on training primary care providers to meet patients’ geriatric needs, including caring for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, supporting family members and other caregivers
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced more than $200 million to support 42 programs across the country aimed at improving care for older Americans, including those experiencing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
HRSA’s Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program will train primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, and other health care clinicians to provide age-friendly and dementia-friendly care for older adults. The program also focuses on providing families and other caregivers of older adults with the knowledge and skills to help them best support their loved ones.
“For the Biden-Harris Administration, meeting the health care needs of older adults is a top priority,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “That’s why we are helping to build the health care workforce needed to care for our friends and family members as they age. The Biden-Harris Administration will continue to support the caregivers and family members who are essential to the well-being of older adults.”
Specifically, this workforce initiative integrates geriatric training into primary care to ensure that health care providers are prepared to identify and address the needs of older patients. Primary care providers are the usual source of care for many older individuals. It is important that these care providers have the capacity to respond to patients’ growing needs as they age. Grantees also will work in the community to help family members and other caregivers understand the changing needs of those they support.
“Among the most trusted people in the lives of older adults are their family members and their caregivers, including their primary care provider,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. “At the Health Resources and Services Administration, we are committed to supporting the clinicians that older patients trust to care for them as they age, especially those with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.”
This announcement supports HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra’s Health Workforce Initiative through which he has made supporting, strengthening, and growing the health workforce a signature priority. HHS’ Initiative includes a coordinated Department-wide effort to identify opportunities to improve health workforce recruitment, retention, and career advancement. It aims to help to elevate workforce programs and activities across the Department, engage with stakeholders, and identify opportunities to further advance federal efforts to support the workforce. It also advances HHS’ work to fulfill the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease: building a workforce with the skills to provide high-quality care to people with dementia is a key strategy to better support the more than six million Americans currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, as well as their caregivers.
