November 3, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Sarah Mashburn, AAHSA, (202) 508-9492
Linda Barbarotta, AAHSA, (202) 508-1209
New Resources Translate Workforce Research into Results and Featuring Tools for Long-Term Care Providers
Washington, D.C. – Better Jobs Better Care (BJBC) released three new resources that encapsulate
the program’s four years of research into tools designed to help providers take on their workforce
challenges head on.
BJBC is a research initiative managed by the Institute for the Future of Aging Services (IFAS) and was funded
by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies. BJBC was developed to help providers
find innovative ways to recruit and retain a high-quality direct care workforce in long-term care. The resources
feature key findings from BJBC's eight research projects and five demonstration projects focused on
innovative recruitment and retention strategies.
The first is a catalogue featuring short descriptions of the resources BJBC’s research and
demonstration grantees used to reduce turnover among direct care workers that are now available to
all providers. These include:
- A 40-hour training program on the basics of caring and two 12-hour companion trainings on dementia and palliative care.
- A training guide for staff to discuss cultural issues at orientation and in-service programs.
- A set of surveys that measure both direct care worker and supervisor satisfaction and training needs.
The catalogue also includes contact information for the individuals involved in the projects.
BJBC produced a short video to accompany the catalogue. In it, Robyn Stone, Dr. P.H, executive director
of IFAS and co-creator of BJBC, shares real stories from providers who used the lessons learned from BJBC
to empower their employees and transform their work for older adults.
Finally, BJBC developed a "News You Can Use" fact sheet that features the key findings from BJBC’s research
projects along the information’s value to long-term care providers. Among other topics, providers can
discover where to find new pools of direct care workers, what interventions improve staff retention and
how to address cultural diversity in their organizations.
"It's no secret that quality in long-term care cannot be achieved without a quality workforce,"
Stone explains. "These resources make it easy for providers to take lessons from evidence-based
research and use them to transform their organizations."
For more information, please visit www.bjbc.org.
About Better Jobs, Better Care
Better Jobs Better Care is a four-year, $15.5 million research and demonstration program, funded by the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies. Its goal is to achieve changes in long-term
care policy and practice that help reduce high vacancy and turnover rates among direct care workers in
long-term care and contribute to improved workforce quality. Technical assistance is provided in partnership
with the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI).
Better Jobs Better Care is directed and managed by the Institute for the Future of Aging Services (IFAS),
American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA). For more information about Better Jobs
Better Care, contact Robyn Stone at (202) 508-1206, or visit www.bjbc.org.
About AAHSA
The members of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (www.aahsa.org) help
millions of individuals and their families every day through mission-driven, not-for-profit organizations
dedicated to providing the services that people need, when they need them, in the place they call home.
Our 5,800 member organizations, many of which have served their communities for generations, offer the
continuum of aging services: adult day services, home health, community services, senior housing, assisted
living residences, continuing care retirement communities and nursing homes. AAHSA’s commitment is to
create the future of aging services through quality people can trust.
