PPHF Geriatric Education Centers

The purpose of this program is to educate and train the health care and supportive care workforces to care for older adults by collaborating with community partners. GWEPs must maximize patient and family engagement to address care gaps and improve h

The purpose of this program is to educate and train the health care and supportive care workforces to care for older adults by collaborating with community partners.

Eligible applicants are accredited health professions schools and programs. The following entities are eligible applicants: Schools of Allopathic Medicine; Schools of Veterinary Medicine; Schools of Dentistry; Schools of Public Health; Schools of Osteopathic Medicine; Schools of Chiropractic; Schools of Pharmacy; Physician Assistant Education Programs; Schools of Optometry; Schools of Allied Health; Schools of Podiatric Medicine; and Schools of Nursing The following accredited graduate programs are also eligible applicants: Health Administration; and Behavioral Health and Mental Health Practice, including: Clinical Psychology, Clinical Social Work, Professional Counseling, and Marriage and Family Therapy. In addition, these are also eligible entities under GWEP: a health care facility, a program leading to certification as a certified nurse assistant, a partnership of a school of nursing and health care facility, or a partnership of a program leading to certification as a certified nurse assistant and a health care facility. Faith-based and community-based organizations, Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments and Native American Organizations may apply if otherwise eligible. Applicants must be located in the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Federated States of Micronesia.

A trainee receiving support from award funds under this program must be a citizen, non-citizen national of the United States, an individual lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United States, or any other "qualified alien" under section 431(b) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-193, as amended.

Projects must develop collaborations with at least one community organization, one academic institution, and one primary care longitudinal clinical rotation site to ensure integrated delivery systems. Grantees must use funds for the following activities: 1. Develop reciprocal partnerships between applicant and a) academic schools of health professions, b) TTOUR primary care sites/delivery systems, and c) community organizations to transform primary care sites/delivery systems that provide age-friendly and dementia-friendly care for older adults; 2. Train the health care workforce in TTOUR primary care sites/delivery systems to provide age-friendly and dementia-friendly health care for older adults and achieve and maintain Level 1 and/or Level 2 Age-Friendly Health System recognition; 3. Provide students, residents, and/or fellows with a minimum of eight weeks per year of longitudinal clinical rotations in TTOUR primary care sites/delivery systems including nursing homes. Provide support to students, residents and/or fellows while they are in clinical rotation(s) at TTOUR primary care sites/delivery systems; 4. Provide faculty and preceptors with the knowledge and skills to educate the health care workforce to provide age-friendly and dementia-friendly care to older adults in TTOUR primary care sites/delivery systems; 5. Using the apprenticeship framework, provide education and training for direct care workers to support career advancement within their discipline as geriatrics specialists. For example, the development of career ladders for certified nursing assistants to become advanced geriatrics specialists and/or community health workers to become advanced geriatrics specialists; 6. Provide interprofessional training that involves at least three health care professions, one of which is medicine. Interprofessional training and education must address the primary care needs of older adults in TTOUR primary care sites/delivery systems including all of the following topics: continuum of care for older adults; ADRD and other mental health issues including delirium, anxiety, depression, substance use and opioid use disorders, and serious mental illness; risk reduction for chronic disease, including dementia; early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and management of dementia; enrollment of older adults in clinical trials; emergencies, and disasters on the health and health care of older adults; elder justice; training on performing the annual wellness visit; training on vaccinations; and use of methods such as MCC e-Care Plan, artificial intelligence and assistive technology, and mobile health technologies to provide telehealth and in-person care delivery; 7. Deliver age-friendly and dementia-friendly programs that provide health care and supportive care workers with the knowledge and skills to improve care to older adults; 8. Partner with schools of nursing and nursing homes to integrate into the curriculum age-friendly didactic content and clinical care learning opportunities on care of older adults, including persons living with dementia, who reside in nursing homes. The overall goal is to increase the number of nurses who elect to practice in nursing homes after graduation; 9. Adhere to HHS Evaluation Policy and evaluation standards and best practices described in OMB Memorandum M-20-12 when evaluating their program for effectiveness; and 10. Evaluate program effectiveness. Student support is provided to trainees only while they are participating in longitudinal clinical rotations. Funds may not be used to acquire real property or for the construction of buildings or the acquisition of land, to pay for equipment costs not directly related to the purposes of the GWEP, or for continuation education certificates. Annually, at least $230,000 must be used solely for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias education and training. Indirect costs under training awards will be budgeted and reimbursed at 8 percent.

Funds may not be used to acquire real property or for the construction of buildings or the acquisition of land, to pay for equipment costs not directly related to the purposes of the GWEP, or for continuation education certificates. Annually, at least $230,000 must be used solely for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias education and training. Indirect costs under training awards will be budgeted and reimbursed at 8 percent of modified total direct costs rather than on the basis of a negotiated rate agreement and are not subject to upward or downward adjustment.

This funding opportunity provides support for a five-year project period. Method of awarding/releasing assistance:

Procedures for assessing the technical merit of grant applications have been instituted to provide an objective review of applications and to assist the applicant in understanding the standards against which each application will be judged. Critical indicators have been developed for each review criterion to assist the applicant in presenting pertinent information related to that criterion and to provide the reviewer with a standard for evaluation. Competing applications are reviewed by non-Federal expert consultant(s) for technical merit recommendations. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated against the following criteria: (1) Purpose and Need; (2) Response to Program Purpose; (3) Impact; (4) Organizational Information, Resources and Capabilities; and (5) Support Requested. See the most recent Notice of Funding Opportunity for detailed selection criteria.

Notification of award is made in writing (electronic) through a Notice of Award.

Approximately 120 - 180 days after receipt of applications.

Depending on Agency priorities and availability of funding, during the final budget year of the approved project period competing continuation applications may be solicited from interested applicants.