Lending a Compassionate Hand

LENDING A McGregor initiatives attract caregivers to the profession. By Linda Feagler Compassionate Hand

Since 1877, McGregor has been dedicated to improving the experience of aging by enabling Cuyahoga County older adults examination within four months of their last class. Since Earn & Learn began, 120 individuals have participated in the program, have earned their STNA licento successfully do so at home or in assisted and independent living communities that ensure personal dignity, respect and quality of life. That commitment continues as the baby boomer population ages and the health care field searches for qualified individuals to join its ranks.

McGregor has launched two initiatives to increase the number of professionals who will be ready to lend a compassionate hand. The McGregor Foundation and Judson Senior Living have partnered to offer a paid Earn & Learn program for those wishing to become state tested nursing assistants (STNAs). Additionally, paid internship opportunities for college students are also available.

“We started the Earn & Learn program in the summer of 2021 with the concept of trying to bolster our workforce,” says Ann Conn, president and CEO of the McGregor Foundation, which was established in 2002 as a private grantmaking foundation. “Like many industries, recruiting has been a challenge for us. Finding individuals who have access to the training and have the ability to take time off to get the training can be difficult. So we decided to follow a manufacturing model with paid apprenticeships and start this program on our own.”

Clearly, the need is great. Conn cites statistics indicating that in 2010, there were 4.8 caregivers for every senior who needed care. By 2030, that number will have dwindled to 2.8.

Upon completing the three-week STNA training course, students will be fully prepared to take the state-licensing sure and are employed by either McGregor or Judson Senior Living. “State tested nursing assistants provide an essential and revered role in our industry,” Conn says. “They are the caregivers who help older adults with their activities of daily living — from getting up from bed to bathing and dressing to eating — to make sure they are well cared for.” McGregor and Judson Living, in conjunction with Eliza Jennings (a retirement community and nursing home), have also initiated a monthlong training program for STNAs wishing to move up the career ladder to become certified medication administrators (CMAs), and earn a certificate that qualifies them to dispense medication. “We’re excited about the work we’re doing, and the fact we’re expanding it to include other nonprofits,” Conn says. “The leadership of these organizations knows each other really well and has developed a strong trust that enables us to work together to train future generations of caregivers.” College-rising seniors also interested in pursuing a career in the health care field are invited to apply for a 10-week paid internship in the McGregor Foundation’s summer internship program, which also began in 2021. Since its inception, students have gained a variety of a hands-on experiences in many facets of aging services, and learned about the multitude of careers available that support McGregor’s delivery of care in departments that include finance, marketing, communications, human

ANN CONN LEE ANN O’BRIEN

“We decided to follow a manufacturing model with paid apprenticeships and start this program on our own.”

— ANN CONN resources and case management. They’ve assisted with updating the organization’s website, sat in on interviews with potential grant recipients and interviewed residents about their life experiences.

Internship opportunities are posted on LeadingAge, Handshake and Indeed. Lee Ann O’Brien, the McGregor Foundation’s chief marketing officer, says she couldn’t be happier with the respondents who’ve been chosen.

“When it comes to our interns, we caught lightning in a jar,” O’Brien says. “They truly help us with our mission. Although our primary emphasis is on those over age 65, we’re now also focusing on a younger generation who’ll have to think about their future and how they’re going to help their parents. The experiences our interns participated in on the job and the perspective they gave us during their time here has been a learning experience for us and for them.

“The internships,” she adds, “help bridge a little bit of the generation gap.”