Help End Ageism, Train Caregivers, and Promote Healthy Lives

Even before the recent financial crisis, we began feeling the pinch on the economy, but we confronted it with optimism and proactive resolve. Now, we need your help more than ever. The ILC-USA works to address many challenges as we consider public policies and issues surrounding the health and financial well-being of our aging population.

We are committed to doing our part to solve the national caregiving crisis; addressing the sleep disorders of older people, fighting for the rights of older people by combating ageism and elder-abuse, and consulting with senior living communities to ensure that the best quality support and care are available to all older men and women, while preserving adult financial security and independence.

Together, we can address all the concerns of our aging population. To achieve our goals, we must demonstrate a continued commitment. We invite you to learn more about our signature projects, and hope you will join us in this effort.

Environmental Scan of America's Caregiver Training Programs

Who are the professional, in-home caregivers of older Americans and how are they trained? Those were the questions seeking answers in a new initiative of The Caregiving Project for Older Americans, funded by a generous grant from the UniHealth Foundation.

After a consensus conference in Los Angeles on May 8th and a national review—or environmental scan—of caregiver training programs and curricula, the findings are now being disseminated in our new report Caregiving Training in America & Southern California.

While the review, a joint project of the ILC and the Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education, was national in scope, special emphasis was placed on Los Angeles and Orange Counties in Southern California, two of the most diverse and populous areas in the country.

UniHealth Foundation President Mary Odell says, “The availability of well-trained in-home caregivers is crucial to enabling older adults to lead active and independent lives. The research and ideas generated from this project will provide valuable insight on how to best to recruit and retain a well-trained caregiver workforce.”

The report can be downloaded free of charge.