The New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing has received a $5 million federal grant to educate and train healthcare workers to care for older adults in the Bronx.
The grant, provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration, will allow the nursing college to train 5,000 healthcare professionals in providing age-friendly care. New York City-based Montefiore Health System and the Jewish Association Serving the Aging are key collaborators on the project.
Educational programs will be available for both students and practicing healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, social workers, pharmacists, community health workers and home health aides. Materials will be tailored by profession and offer guidance for providing age-friendly care in various settings, such as primary care, dementia clinics, nursing homes and patients' homes.
Along with providing educational support, NYU Meyers will work with the state to create a geriatric specialist certification program for certified nursing assistants. Starting in 2025, the program will also offer students at NYU Meyers and the Montefiore School of Nursing clinical rotations in two nursing homes in the Bronx.
"Many older adults live with dementia or other chronic illnesses, but there is a scarcity of healthcare professionals ready to meet the complex needs of this vulnerable population," Tara Cortes, PhD, RN, executive director of the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing at NYU Meyers, said in a July 9 news release. "This project seeks to grow the geriatric workforce and foster a new generation committed to caring for the diverse population of older adults in the Bronx."