Strengthening Maine’s Eldercare Workforce

Principal Investigator: Sandy Butler (Social Work, UMaine)

Partners: Marialla Passarelli (UMF); Tanya Sleeper (UMFK); and Venessa Patenaude (UMPI)

Abstract: There is a large and growing demand for geriatric health care providers and direct care workers in Maine and nationally. Preparing and encouraging students to meet this need has significant workforce implications. Representing four campuses and four disciplines, we seek to explore potential research collaborations focused on training, growing, and improving the eldercare workforce. We anticipate using funds to formulate one to three multi-discipline, multi-campus research projects for which we will apply for external or RRF Seed Grant funding. This RRF Planning Grant application grows out of the UMS Aging Initiative and specifically the Health and Human Services Work Group.