Pennsylvania ranks fourth among states in its population of residents 85-years-old and older, and that population is projected to increase by 52 percent by 2020. Some of these residents will need help and will move into one of the state’s 1,500 licensed personal care homes and assisted living facilities, where more than 50,000 elderly and disabled residents currently reside. To ensure their well-being, the Department of Public Welfare (DPW), which inspects and licenses these facilities, has partnered with higher education institutions and other agencies to educate and train personal care home administrators and staff. Penn State Beaver has offered the 100-hour Personal Care Home Administrator Training Program since 2006. This fall, the program is being expanded to Penn State DuBois.
“The training is standardized, consistent and rigorous,” said Marian Vendemia, director of the Continuing Education Program at Penn State Beaver. “It is designed to ensure residents of these facilities have a good quality of life. This is a critical societal issue that Penn State is ideally suited to help address through its statewide campus system.”
DPW invited Penn State Beaver to be a training provider shortly after new training regulations went into effect. Vendemia rounded up experts in health care and the law and offered the first program in the spring of 2006. Since then, 272 personal care home administrators and other health care professionals have completed the training.
This fall, Penn State DuBois will offer the program to help more than 20 personal care and long-term care facilities in its region by providing training close to home, said Jeannine Hanes, Penn State DuBois continuing education representative. “This program fits in well with our other health care programs. We work closely with our long-term care facilities to assess their education and training needs and arrange for appropriate programs.”
According to Kimberly C. Black, director of training for DPW’s Adult Residential Licensing program, “personal care homes serve vulnerable adults that require personal care services. Without appropriate training, personal care home administrators cannot keep up with current trends and issues related to the individuals they serve.” DPW increased training requirements for personal care home administrators and staff in 2005. “Training improves the knowledge base of the individual, which improves services provided to residents.”
Personal Care Home Administrator Training covers 19 topics ranging from resident rights to laws and regulations, fire prevention and emergency preparedness, and budgeting issues. To become an administrator, individuals must complete the training and pass a test developed for DPW by a Penn State team. Led by Matt Kaplan, associate professor of intergenerational programs and aging, Penn State Extension and College of Health and Human Development faculty and staff created the online test.
“By passing a competency-based test that reflects what they have learned, administrators are better-prepared to ensure the quality of care for residents. It’s all about the quality of life of the resident,” said Kaplan. “This is the most impactful work I’ve ever done.”
Personal care homes and assisted living facilities provide shelter, meals, supervision and assistance with personal care tasks for people who need assistance, but do not require nursing home or medical care.
George Knox, who with his sister Nancy Simmons, a registered nurse, has owned and operated Trinity Oaks Care Centers in Ellwood City and Beaver, Pa. since 1979, uses Penn State Beaver for all training for himself and his staff of 32. “The programs are cogent, appropriate and timely,” Knox said. “Penn State Beaver offers programs that are extremely appropriate for what we do.” After a recent fire prevention program, Knox incorporated new fire safety measures in his facilities.
For more information about this training program, contact: Penn State Beaver Continuing Education, by phone at (724) 773-3700 or by e-mail at br-continuinged@psu.edu; and Penn State DuBois Continuing Education, by phone at (814) 375-4715 or by e-mail at duboisce@psu.edu.
