By Olivia Trani

The United States population is older than ever before, with more than 58 million people aged 65 years or older. By 2050, this number is expected to rise to 82 million, representing 1 in every 4 Americans.

The Virginia Geriatric Education Center (VGEC) at Virginia Commonwealth University has recently been awarded a $5 million grant renewal to help address the emerging health needs of this growing population.

“Aging is a part of life, and as we get older, we are more likely to experience complex medical issues and chronic health conditions. While the number of older Americans has significantly grown over the years, the size of our geriatric workforce has not. There are roughly 5,000 geriatricians across the country, and that number has not changed in the last 15 years,” said Leland “Bert” Waters, Ph.D., associate director of the Virginia Center on Aging at VCU’s College of Health Professions and director of the VGEC. “Expanding our geriatric workforce and promoting age-friendly care is vital for ensuring those needs are met.”

The five-year award is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program. The initiative is part of a national effort to improve the health and well-being of older adults by equipping health care professionals with the knowledge and resources for providing age-friendly care.

“VCU is home to one of the original 16 geriatric education centers established by HRSA grants in 1985,” Waters said. “Now we are one of 42 HRSA-funded centers across the country, and we are very excited to continue to help older Virginians and their caregivers.”

From left to right: Patty Slattum, Ph.D., Leland “Bert” Waters, Ph.D., Kimberly Davis, M.S., Sarah Marrs, Ph.D. (Contributed photo) 

Partnerships to address health disparities facing older Virginians

One of the center’s strengths, Waters says, is being able to foster multi-institutional collaborations across the state. The VGEC is an interdisciplinary consortium of aging experts and community partners from various universities, health systems and nonprofit organizations. In addition to VCU and VCU Health, the consortium includes the University of Virginia, George Mason University, Virginia Tech, Marymount University, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Riverside Health System, and VirginiaNavigator.

“We’re responsible for the geriatrics education in Virginia, and through this collaboration, we can leverage the expertise and resources from leading scholars, departments, and programs in geriatrics across the state,” Waters said.

The VGEC is home to several programs focused on training health professionals who care for older adults, helping family caregivers provide long-term care, and supplying older Virginians with information about their health and well-being. This includes training and education on falls prevention, advance care planning, substance abuse, elder mistreatment, dementia care and other chronic health conditions that impact older adults.

The center provides geriatrics training to health care professionals at every career stage, from students and residents to faculty and clinicians.

Through the center’s senior mentoring program, for example, first-year medical students at the VCU School of Medicine form connections with community-dwelling older adults as a way to help end negative stereotypes about aging. The program is intended to positively influence future physicians in providing compassionate care to older adults. 

For those more established in their careers, the VGEC also provides opportunities for health professionals to enhance their abilities in caring for older adults and help shape the future of geriatric care.

“Our Creating Interprofessional Readiness for Complex and Aging Adults program is the cornerstone of our many initiatives,” said Sarah Marrs, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of research at the Virginia Center on Aging, who oversees the CIRCAA program. “Many of our scholars go on to become leaders in geriatrics care and education across the state.”

The center also hosts programs that are designed to help educators give their own training on geriatric care. Kimberly Davis, M.S., clinical assistant professor at the VCU School of Nursing, leads a program that informs EMS educators on how to incorporate dementia-friendly care into their curriculums. The initiative is now looking to expand their efforts in response to recent legislation from Virginia lawmakers that requires first responders to receive training related to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

The newest cohort of CIRCAA scholars is comprised of health care professionals from across the state, gathered for the first session of this nine-month program. (Contributed photo)

Expanding outreach in underserved communities

Another key mission of VGEC is partnering with nonprofits to provide local communities with health resources for older adults. This includes VirginiaNavigator, a program that shares free information associated with aging and overall well-being, as well as the Alter program, which builds resources and awareness around dementia in African American and faith communities. The center also works closely with VCU’s Mobile Health and Wellness Program, an initiative that provides free health services, wellness care, and coaching to underserved communities across the Richmond region.

“Every year, the VCU Mobile Health and Wellness Program, in partnership with the VGEC, provides education to over 200 VCU students who will soon join the health care workforce,” said Lana Sargent, Ph.D., associate professor and the associate dean for Practice and Community Engagement at the VCU School of Nursing. “Students learn to work together to meet the health needs of older adults where they live, bringing critical health and prevention support to medically complex older adults in urban and medically underserved rural communities.”

The latest funding will allow VGEC to strengthen its existing programming, as well as pursue additional avenues to improve care for older adults in Virginia. The grant also presents an opportunity to broaden the scope of the center’s work to address the needs of aging populations in Virginia’s rural and tribal communities.

“We will work in partnership with the Chickahominy to engage medical students with tribal elders in our intergenerational mentoring program and to identify needs of the tribal community to support tribal elders and increase access to age-friendly services,” said Patricia Slattum, Pharm.D., Ph.D., professor emeritus at the VCU School of Pharmacy. “We hope to take what we learn from the Chickahominy tribe to expand to other tribal communities in Virginia.”

The center will also work with the Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN) in Virginia and the Virginia Pharmacy Association to develop an age-friendly apprenticeship program for pharmacy technicians who are cross-trained as community health workers. One of the initiative’s goals is to train technicians working at independent community pharmacies, which make up more than 75% of pharmacies in rural areas.

“Independent community pharmacies play a pivotal role in giving rural regions access to healthcare services and medications. Through this apprenticeship, we hope to provide these pharmacies with the knowledge and resources to better support their older patient population,” Slattum added.

Waters hopes that all of these efforts ultimately raise awareness of the importance of geriatric care and increase public interest in gerontology as a career.

“If you are looking for a fulfilling career as a clinician and want help your community, this is a space where you can have the most impactful presence in Virginia.”