Stipends offered for nursing home training

by: Chris Lisinski, SHNS

Posted: Nov 18, 2020 / 08:47 PM EST / Updated: Nov 18, 2020 / 08:47 PM EST

 

BOSTON (SHNS) – The Massachusetts Senior Care Association and Hebrew SeniorLife will help train 300 nursing homes across the state in infection control as part of a national program, officials announced Wednesday.

The two organizations will serve as a “hub” in the National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network, an initiative to help better prepare staff to cope with the ongoing threats posed by the highly infectious virus.

Homes participating in the program will be broken into nine cohorts with 16 virtual learning sessions covering how to keep the virus out of homes, detect its presence early, care for patients with mild and asymptomatic cases and more.

All Medicare- and Medicaid-eligible homes can join the free program, and those that complete it will receive a $6,000 stipend from the National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network.

“We are bringing together nursing home staff, leaders in long-term care, physicians, and experts in infection control and gerontology to share best practices and build upon the great progress nursing homes have made in containing the spread of the virus,” MSCA President Tara Gregorio said in a statement. “Nursing homes and their staff have been on the frontlines of this pandemic and have worked diligently to provide professional, high quality, compassionate care to the vulnerable population they care for. Bringing this kind of additional support will enhance our infection control efforts.”

The program is supported by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and Project ECHO.