The USI Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) has established a nursing home consortium, AIM (Advance, Improve, Move), designed to support nursing home leaders with education and innovative opportunities to grow age- and dementia-friendly care.
Ready to get involved? Explore current opportunities through the AIM Interest Survey, subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed, and register for the upcoming webinar.
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February 2025 Moving Forward Nursing Home Coalition (no recording) |
May 2025 Teepa Snow's Positive Approach to Care® (no recording) |
August 2025 |
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October 2025 |
January 2026 |
April 2026 |
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July 2026 |
Partner with USI to provide hands-on learning experiences for future healthcare professionals, including Nursing, Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD), Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA), and Administrator-in-Training (AIT) students.
Overview: Host USI Nursing students for long-term care clinical rotations.
Benefits: Workforce development, recruitment opportunities, exposure to geriatric care.
Who Should Participate: Nursing homes with RN leadership interested in student education.
Time Commitment: One day/week, 8 hours/day, 8-week rotation; Wednesday-Friday only.
Before Expressing Interest: Within 70 miles of USI; RN preceptor with unrestricted license and at least 6 months experience; ability to host approximately 6-10 students; ability to work with CastleBranch requirements; RN present during student clinical experiences.
Eligibility & Limitations: Placement availability depends on faculty, student needs, and site capacity.
What Happens Next: USI Nursing faculty discuss placement fit, scheduling, and affiliation requirements.
Overview: Host USI Occupational Therapy Doctorate students for fieldwork experiences.
Benefits: Workforce development, interdisciplinary collaboration, resident-centered care enhancement.
Level I Fieldwork: Approximately 40 hours over one week; supervisor may be an OT, OTA, or other qualified professional.
Level II Fieldwork: Full-time 12-week placement (minimum 480 hours); supervised by a licensed OT with at least one year of practice experience.
Doctoral Capstone Experiences: Additional opportunities may become available as the OTD program expands.
Eligibility & Limitations: No geographic restrictions; placement availability depends on student needs, program capacity, and supervision requirements.
What Happens Next: USI OTD faculty discuss fieldwork level and site compatibility.
Overview: Host Occupational Therapy Assistant students for full-time clinical experiences.
Benefits: Workforce development, resident engagement, partnership with USI.
Time Commitment: Full-time, 40 hours/week, 8-week rotation; facilities may participate in one or both fall terms.
Before Expressing Interest: Ability to host students, provide supervision, and support a full-time schedule.
Eligibility & Limitations: No geographic limitations; no requirement to commit beyond one academic year; placement availability varies by semester.
What Happens Next: USI OTA faculty discuss scheduling and supervision expectations.
Overview: Host a USI Administrator-in-Training resident completing requirements for Indiana Health Facility Administrator licensure.
Benefits: Leadership pipeline development, future administrator recruitment, workforce support.
Time Commitment: 1,040 residency hours completed within 6-12 months alongside an approved preceptor.
Resident Learning Areas: Finance, operations, HR, resident care, leadership, compliance, quality improvement, environmental services.
Before Expressing Interest: Qualified preceptor, exposure to multiple departments, structured learning opportunities.
Eligibility & Limitations: Placement depends on preceptor availability and residency requirements.
What Happens Next: USI faculty review preceptor qualifications and residency logistics.
Overview: Educational session delivered by a USI subject matter expert.
Current Topics:
Benefits: Evidence-based practices, quality improvement, age-friendly and dementia-friendly care knowledge.
Who Should Participate: CNAs, nurses, therapy staff, social services staff, administrators.
Time Commitment: Typically a one-hour educational session.
Before Expressing Interest: Recruit attendees and provide meeting space or virtual access.
Overview: Train staff to become certified fall-prevention coaches.
Benefits: Builds internal capacity to deliver evidence-based fall prevention education.
Who Should Participate: Educators, nurses, activities staff, therapists, administrators.
Before Expressing Interest: Staff must be willing to attend training and help implement the program.
Overview: Participate in a webinar focused on recognizing ageism in healthcare and applying age-friendly principles to nutrition care for older adults.
Benefits: Learn practical strategies to address age-related bias, incorporate the Age-Friendly Health Systems 4Ms Framework, assess social drivers of health, strengthen client engagement, and support interdisciplinary collaboration.
Who Should Participate: Dietitians, dietary managers, nutrition professionals, nursing home leaders, and interdisciplinary team members serving older adults.
Time Commitment: One live webinar on November 10, 2026, 1 hour and 15 minutes
Continuing Education: Registration includes access to available continuing education credits offered through the event provider.
Eligibility and limitations:
Before Expressing Interest: Identify staff members interested in attending and receiving continuing education credit.
What Happens Next: Interested participants will receive registration information and additional webinar details from the USI GWEP team.
Overview: Training for Health Facility Administrators interested in supervising (precepting) AIT residents.
Benefits: CE credits, preceptor eligibility, workforce development.
Time Commitment: One-day training (approximately 8 hours).
Who Should Participate: Licensed Health Facility Administrators.
Eligibility/Limitation: Trainings available upon coach availability.
Overview: Dementia care training and certification program.
Benefits: Nationally recognized dementia education and improved staff consistency.
Who Should Participate: CNAs, nurses, social services, activities professionals.
Time Commitment: 3 hours of asynchronous online modules.
Eligibility & Limitations: Limited seats available.
Before Expressing Interest: Identify participating staff willing to complete certification requirements.
Overview: Team-based virtual dementia education series led by experts.
Current Series: Nursing Home, Assisted Living, Primary Care, Dementia Care Navigation
Benefits: National expertise, peer learning, evidence-based dementia care strategies.
Who Should Participate: Interdisciplinary care teams.
Time Commitment: Varies by series.
Before Expressing Interest: Must participate as a team and attend scheduled sessions.
Overview: Evidence-based fall-prevention program for older adults.
Benefits: Increased confidence, activity levels, and mobility.
Time Commitment: Eight sessions delivered over approximately 4-8 weeks.
Eligible Counties: Greene, Knox, Daviess, Martin, Pike, Dubois, Gibson, Posey, Perry, Spencer, Warrick, Vanderburgh (IN); Union, Henderson, Webster (KY).
Before Expressing Interest: Recruit residents and provide program space.
Overview: Evidence-based program designed to reduce loneliness and social isolation.
Benefits: Social engagement, meaningful connections, resident well-being.
Time Commitment: 12 weeks, one session per week.
Eligible Counties: Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin, Pike, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Spencer, Gibson, Perry, Posey.
Before Expressing Interest: Recruit appropriate residents and provide meeting space.
Overview: Dementia awareness discussion led by a certified Dementia Friends Champion.
Benefits: Increases understanding of dementia and encourages community action.
Audience: Staff, family members, residents, volunteers, community members.
Eligible Counties: Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin, Pike, Vanderburgh, Warrick, Spencer, Gibson, Perry, Posey.
Overview: Evidence-based wellness program combining bingo, exercise, and fall-prevention education.
Benefits: Engagement, physical activity, socialization, wellness.
Time Commitment: Typically 10 sessions.
Eligible Counties: Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin, Pike.
Before Expressing Interest: Recruit residents and host sessions.
Overview: Pilot initiative exploring AI applications for resident engagement, staff education, and operational efficiency.
Benefits: Innovation, collaboration, exposure to emerging technology.
Status: Pilot phase.
Eligibility & Limitations: Limited funding, capacity, and project availability.
Overview: Guidance and support for pursuing IHI Age-Friendly Level 1 recognition.
Benefits: National recognition, structured improvement efforts, age-friendly best practices.
Before Expressing Interest: Leadership support and willingness to engage in improvement activities.
Eligibility & Limitations: Capacity and readiness considerations may apply.
Overview: Guidance and support for pursuing IHI Age-Friendly Level 2 recognition.
Benefits: National recognition, structured improvement efforts, age-friendly best practices.
Before Expressing Interest: Leadership support and willingness to engage in improvement activities.
Eligibility & Limitations: Capacity and readiness considerations may apply.
Overview: Support the development of future long-term care professionals by participating in workforce pipeline initiatives that introduce students to aging services careers.
Benefits: Workforce recruitment, community partnerships, increased awareness of long-term care careers, future CNA and nursing candidate pipeline.
Goal: Increase interest in long-term care careers and create pathways into the aging services workforce.
Who Should Participate: Organizations interested in recruiting future healthcare workers and strengthening workforce pipelines.
Current Status: USI GWEP is exploring opportunities to expand pre-apprenticeship partnerships and is seeking interested long-term care partners.
What Happens Next: Interested organizations will be contacted to discuss potential workforce development partnerships.
Overview: Support the recruitment, training, and retention of direct care staff through CNA workforce development and career pathway initiatives.
Benefits: Recruitment support, workforce retention, career advancement opportunities, stronger direct care workforce.
Goal: Increase both the size and quality of the long-term care workforce while creating opportunities for professional growth in aging services.
Future Focus: USI GWEP is exploring additional geriatric-focused training and career advancement opportunities designed to support CNA retention and expertise in long-term care.
Who Should Participate: Organizations interested in workforce recruitment, employee development, and long-term care career pathways.
Current Status: USI GWEP is seeking partners interested in current and future CNA workforce development initiatives.
The AIM Nursing Home Consortium is made possible through the USI GWEP. Continuing education credits are provided by the USI Center for Health Professions Lifelong Learning - funded by the Bronstein Center for Healthy Aging and Wellness.
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