Personal care aides (PCAs) are critical to meeting the need for low-cost, high-quality care for frail older adults at home. Developing this workforce entails not only increasing its size but also ensuring that PCAs possess the skills necessary to deliver competent, safe, and respectful care. Yet, no federal PCA competencies or training requirements exist, and state requirements vary widely. In 2010, a 77-hour PCA model training program was developed as part of a national demonstration. However, a key finding of this study was that many enrollees faced serious socio-economic challenges that prevented them from graduating. This report details findings from a survey sent to all non-completers to ascertain reasons for attrition and improve program success. It offers recommendations for future program planners.

A workforce that understands principles of geriatric medicine is critical to addressing the care needs of the growing elderly population. This will be impossible without a substantial increase in academicians engaged in education and aging research. Limited support of early‐career clinician–educators is a major barrier to attaining this goal. The Geriatric Academic Career Award (GACA) was a vital resource that benefitted 222 junior faculty members. GACA availability was interrupted in 2006, followed by permanent discontinuation after the Geriatrics Workforce Education Program (GWEP) subsumed it in 2015, leaving aspiring clinician–educators with no similar alternatives. GACA recipients were surveyed in this cross‐sectional, multimethod study to assess the effect of the award on career development, creation and dissemination of educational products, funding discontinuation consequences, and implications of program closure for the future of geriatric health care. Uninterrupted funding resulted in fulfillment of GACA goals (94%) and overall career success (96%). Collectively, awardees reached more than 40,700 learners. Funding interruption led to 55% working additional hours over and above an increased clinical workload to continue their GACA‐related research and scholarship. Others terminated GACA projects (36%) or abandoned academic medicine altogether. Of respondents currently at GWEP sites (43%), only 13% report a GWEP budget including GACA‐like support. Those with GWEP roles attributed their current standing to experience gained through GACA funding. These consequences are alarming and represent a major setback to academic geriatrics. GACA's singular contribution to the mission of geriatric medicine must prompt vigorous efforts to restore it as a distinct funding opportunity.

With an aging population and provider shortages, personal care aides (PCAs) hold potential for providing low-cost, high-quality in-home supports and services. They comprise an unprecedented workforce in terms of size and rapid growth. However, this workforce is also characterized by costly high-turnover rates that threaten quality of care and outcomes. It is imperative that measures be taken to improve PCA skills and stabilize their employment. In 2010, a PCA training program was developed titled “Building Training . . . Building Quality” as part of a national demonstration. Key findings were that learners’ skills, employability, and job satisfaction significantly improved, and “intent to stay” was associated with increased confidence in ability to do the job. This report details findings of value to those interested in retaining high-quality PCAs.

Introduction:The rapidly aging US population is resulting in major challenges including delivering quality care at lower costs in the face of a critical health-care workforce shortage. The movement toward home care has dramatically increased the need for qualified, paid personal care aides (PCAs). Adequate PCA training that focuses on skills for person-centered, at home support is an imperative. This study provides evidence that clients of PCAs who have completed a comprehensive, evidence-based PCA training program, titled Building Training…Building Quality (BTBQ), report higher satisfaction and better health outcomes, compared to clients of PCAs with lesser or other training.Methods:A mixed-methods, quasi-experimental design was used to compare self-reported survey responses from clients of BTBQ-trained PCAs (treatment group) with responses from clients of non-BTBQ-trained PCAs (control group).Results:Clients of BTBQ-trained PCAs had significantly fewer falls and emergency department visits compared to clients whose PCAs had no BTBQ training (P < .05). Conclusion: BTBQ-like PCA training reduces costly adverse events.

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