The Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education, a program of the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and based in Springdale, has received a $3.5 million federal grant to expand its home caregiver training in Arkansas, Hawaii, Texas and California.
The grant is one of 81 new health innovation awards made possible through the Affordable Care Act.
"The Schmieding Center’s project will demonstrate the effectiveness of advanced training in preparing home caregivers to play a more important role as part of the health care team for dependent older adults and for the first time promotes the use of microcredit financing for those who want to care for older adults preferring to stay in their homes,” said Larry Wright, executive director of the center and associate professor of geriatrics at UAMS, in a news release.
"We estimate that addressing the growing shortage in this critical workforce in this way can save more than $1.3 million in gross Medicare expenditures over the three years of this project while also creating a model for more effective recruitment, tuition support and retention of these workers."
Microcredit financing makes available small loans to students who are expected through self-improvement to become capable of repaying the loans. The project will allow students to borrow up to $1,500 to cover tuition, books and study materials.
In addition, the grant supports training and microcredit loans through collaborations with:
- University of Hawaii, Kapi’olani Community College, Honolulu
- Central Texas Aging & Disability Resource Center, Belton, Texas
- WISE & Healthy Aging, Santa Monica, Calif.