The Effectiveness of Language-Specific Personal Care Education on Improving the Knowledge and Skills of Vietnamese American In-Home Supportive Service Caregivers.

BACKGROUND: In-Home Supportive-Services (IHSS) caregivers provide personal care assistance to low-income older adults. According to the California Social Service Department, 20.2% of IHSS caregivers spoke Vietnamese in one county. The purpose of this project was to improve the knowledge and skills among these Vietnamese American caregivers by providing a language-specific and culturally appropriate education on personal care. METHODS: The project used a pre- and post-test design. Under the guidance of nursing faculty, four Vietnamese-speaking nursing students provided a 2-hr educational program on personal care (e.g., bathing, oral care) to registered Vietnamese IHSS caregivers. A pre- and post-survey was conducted. RESULTS: Overall, 55 caregivers completed the surveys. The surveys showed significant increases in confidence in knowledge and skills related to personal care topics (all ps < .001). CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrated that the cultural and language-specific education was effective in increasing knowledge and confidence of Vietnamese IHSS caregivers related to personal care for older adults.

Pioneering COVID-19 Pandemic Partnerships: Federally Qualified Health Centers and Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Programs Work Together to Care for Diverse Underserved Older Adults.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected populations served by Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), with high morbidity and mortality rates in ethnic minority older adults. In response to this pandemic, academic geriatric medicine teams through federally funded Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) with FQHC partnership implemented new initiatives to improve the care for vulnerable older adults. Objectives: To describe how four FQHC/GWEP teams collaborated in caring for diverse communities of older adults during the pandemic. Methods: Four GWEPs have addressed pandemic response efforts with their respective FQHC partners. These collaborations to meet the increasing numbers of older adults seeking services, and the rising disparities exacerbated during the pandemic are delineated. Results: FQHC/GWEP partnerships enabled access to care, whether in-person or virtually to serve unmet needs of underserved older adults during the pandemic. Partnerships promoted COVID-19 education, testing, and vaccinations. Most FQHCs faced severe staffing shortages, and the digital divide challenged patients with barriers. GWEPs provided direct care, created educational materials, and developed telehealth programs. These partnerships addressed social determinants of health gaps caused by the pandemic. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that strong partnerships between GWEPs and FQHCs mitigate health inequities for vulnerable ethnic minority and rural older adults during pandemic crises.