News Releases

Grant Funds to Support Quality in Long-Term Care Northern New England LEADS Institute Selects Sites in Maine

June 14, 2005

Contact: Elise Scala Project Coordinator: QualityCare, Institute for Health Policy University of Southern Maine Muskie School of Public Service 207-228-8423 scala@usm.maine.edu

Four Maine long-term care organizations have been selected to participate in a regional initiative to demonstrate their vision of long-term care, one based on the principles of quality care and quality jobs. The Northern New England LEADS (Leadership, Education and Advocacy for Direct Care and Support) Institute is bringing these organizations together with others representing both residential facility and home care service providers in Vermont and New Hampshire in a regional initiative to establish quality environments that nurture both workers and the people they care for. The three year grant-funded project will provide a unique combination of leadership development, skill training, and public education programs based on a successful model that involves direct-care workers, long-term care providers/employers, and consumers in creating quality caregiving cultures. The Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI), a New York based national leader in the quality-care-through-quality-jobs movement is providing leadership, training, and consultation, and will oversee the regional-and state-based partnerships.

In Maine, four organizations recognized for their leadership in long-term care have been selected to start in the first year of the grant: The Cedars, Home Care for Maine, Mid Coast Senior Health, and Sandy River Health Systems. The partnership activities in Maine are being coordinated by Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) and the University of Southern Maine's Muskie School of Public Service. Darlene Chalmers, executive director of Mid Coast Senior Health, described her expectations of the project in a recent interview: "We have made progress in long-term care and at Mid Coast Senior Health but the only way we will move ahead is to put our energy in the right place. We need to increase public and community awareness to change the image of long-term care and focus on direct-care workers. We need to constantly work on improving the environment for workers and residents, and with this project we want to stand out as an organization that does it right, to be a center of excellence."

The LEADS Institute is funded by Jane's Trust and the Langeloth Foundation. These foundations have made significant commitments to this project because of its innovative approach to improving the quality of long-term care. "The LEADS Institute is unique in several ways," notes Rachel Pohl of Hemenway & Barnes, which administers Jane's Trust. "It leverages partnerships in three states and combines policy and practice-based solutions to resolve the challenges facing long-term care. By linking quality care and quality jobs, LEADS will ensure innovation and capacity to attract and retain a stable, competent and compassionate direct-care workforce to support the growing number of elders, chronically ill, and people with disabilities living in northern New England."

The LEADS Institute will conduct training programs in three areas: peer mentoring, coaching supervision, and person-centered caregiving practices. The focus of the training and implementation activities will be to support frontline workers and managers to implement caregiving practices that break down the institutional culture so common in long-term care. LEADS participants will also work with community partners to educate state leaders and the public about the support needs of an aging population and the value of direct-care work. To enhance the impact of the LEADS Institute throughout New England-and the nation-researchers will evaluate the impact of program activities on employee morale, retention, vacancy rates, quality of caregiving relationships, and quality of care for consumers.

Maine, like its neighbors New Hampshire and Vermont, has a fast-growing elderly population. Recent census data ranks Maine fifth in the country for its number of senior citizens. Providing quality care and support options to meet the needs of Maine's elders and people with disabilities is a challenge faced by individuals, families, service providers and their employees. Elise Scala, a USM Muskie School project director serving as the Maine-based public educator for LEADS, says the project is an opportunity for Maine. "The LEADS Institute will highlight best practices, provide much needed evaluation information and technical assistance, and will support Maine's participation in culture change and quality advances. The goals of the Institute are very complementary to Maine's providers and their vision for long-term care services and employment."

More information may also be obtained by contacting: Regional Project Manager Alex Olins, 802-655-4615, aolins@paraprofessional.org Maine Partners: Christa Baade, 207-882-7552,Ê csb@ceimaine.org USM Muskie School: Elise Scala, 207-228-8423, scala@usm.maine.edu.

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