The CSWE Gero Ed Center would like to thank social workers Sandy Butler (University of Maine), Denise Gammonley (University of Central Florida), Christine Gessner (Evangelical Community Hospital), and Marilyn Luptak (University of Utah) for advocating for the eldercare workforce on September 21 as part of the Eldercare Workforce Alliance's Hill Day.
Constituents from around the country participated in meetings with Members of Congress and staff who sit on key committees overseeing issues critical to the eldercare workforce. In their meetings, the constituents urged Congress to appropriate $71.7 million in fiscal year (FY) 2011 for federal programs, many of which were created or expanded in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act earlier this year, that provide specialized training for health professionals caring for older adults. These programs, administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), include the Geriatric Academic Career Awards (GACA), Geriatric Education Centers (GEC), Geriatric Training Program for Physicians, Dentists, and Behavioral and Mental Health Professionals, Geriatric Career Incentive Awards Program, as well as training opportunities for direct care workers and nurses.