We've all heard the demographic statistics. The baby boomers are getting older, and as that mega-population ages, more health professionals will be needed to help them deal with the problems that come with age. One of the biggest challenges is finding someone who is qualified and dedicated enough to give quality care to elders, both in their homes and in long-term care facilities.

With the changing demographics, a strong workforce trained for the job will be even more in demand. Greenfield Community College is filling that workforce gap locally with the Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Home Health Aide (HHA) certificate program. "This is a unique training program because we are teaching people in a holistic way," said Bob Barba, associate dean for Community Education at GCC, which offers the 110-hour program. "This is not just a skills check-list class." Barba said that most community colleges offer certified nurse assistant training, but GCC's program strives to offer a more comprehensive program with a strong focus on self-care and patient dignity.

The elder care and homecare industry has a high turnover because it's a stressful, low-paying job. Barba said many CNA training programs crank out students who are barely qualified to enter this field so they are quickly overwhelmed by their first job. He and colleague Nancy Bair, director for Workforce Development at GCC, wanted to make sure GCC was not doing the same.

Two years ago, GCC revived its program, which it had not offered since 2002, by bringing in Sue Pratt, Director of Tripp Community Care Collaborative, a nonprofit organization that trains people in the elder care field. Pratt developed a fresh curriculum and recruited a talented teaching team. Pratt said the program, which is owned and offered by GCC, but managed by Tripp, focuses on communication and the philosophy of healthcare. Students are not just taught how to care for the elders, but how to care for themselves and to manage stress. "We focus on team-building, communication skills, and self-care — the kinds of things they will need to strengthen themselves to deal with the stresses inherent in the work."

The revamped program offers certification four times a year, with two programs a year running in the day and two programs running as night courses. It seems to be working so far. In an industry where workers sometimes only stick it out for two or three months, GCC has produced workers who are staying in the field long-term. "We've had excellent evaluations and the majority of people go out to work and they stay out there," Pratt said. "They may change jobs, but they stay in the field."

Many of the students who enter the program are referred and sometimes sponsored by the Franklin Hampshire Career Center and other local employment agencies. Nancy Bair, Director of the Office for Workforce Development at GCC, noted that it takes a special kind of person to enter this industry. "I have been struck by the personal kindness and commitment to caring that the students have coming in to the training and how much they love the work they do. Their open heartedness makes me feel even more strongly about helping them feel proud of themselves and their role in the field of health care," Bair said.

Other students take the course not to enter the field, but to care for their own parents. Polly Peterson is a recent graduate of the program. She is a licensed psychotherapist, but had to take a year off work to take care of her parents when they became ill. Their health has improved, but, the challenges Peterson faced inspired her to take this course to improve her skills. She has even been working in the industry for a few weeks to get more of an understanding of what it takes to take care of elders. "I was literally stunned by the breadth of information and training that I got," Peterson said of GCC"s program. "It was amazing."

Peterson has seen firsthand how little people in this industry are paid and how little respect they get for the hard work that they do. She said GCC's program helps prepare students to deal with these challenges. She said the course also helped the young students see that they too may one day be in the situation that the people they care for find themselves in. It helped them to be more empathetic and compassionate about the care they give. "(Pratt) does an amazing job. She turns out people who are really committed to the people they care for," Peterson said. "They know what they are doing and they have the skills and the compassion to do it. And, they have so many more skills for taking care of themselves."

For more information about this program, please contact Community Education at (413) 775-1605.