Proposal Presented for the Master Plan for Aging (#28)
Disclaimer
Throughout the MPA process, more than 100 proposals were developed thanks in particular to thousands of hours of work by external stakeholders and members of the public. These proposals and the MPA Council commentary are being submitted to the Governor and shared with policymakers and the public to inform policymaking. These proposals represent a starting point for discussion. Further discussion is necessary between relevant state agencies and stakeholders to both refine these proposals and assess which may be appropriate to adopt and implement.
Summary
Develop mechanisms to provide incentives that support those interested in entering the fields of geriatrics and geriatric psychiatry, such as scholarships, loan forgiveness, or additional provider reimbursement add-ons for serving specialized populations. The proposal includes incorporating geriatric-specialty-focused elements into existing loan forgiveness programs.
Justification
Existing long-term care shortages are exacerbated by the growing older adult population in New York State. Building upon previously established loan forgiveness programs to include geriatric specialties will effectively attract and incentivize professionals to positions that support the needs of older New Yorkers.
Full Proposal
Develop mechanisms to provide incentives that support those interested in entering the fields of geriatrics, geriatric nursing, geriatric social work, and geriatric psychiatry, such as scholarships, loan forgiveness, or additional provider reimbursement add-ons for serving specialized populations. Ensure that the base education curriculums for professionals includes working with older adults and incorporating intersectionality in all professional settings.
- Ensure that Nurses Across New York (NANY) and Doctors Across New York (DANY) specifically provide for a percentage of their grant recipients to be in geriatric specialties.
- The Social Worker Loan Forgiveness Program should add loan forgiveness eligibility for social workers who practice with a "specific population of older adults and individuals with disabilities requiring long-term services and supports" to the existing eligibility criteria as a qualified Critical Human Service Area Eligibility as this population is not identified as a population Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) by the Human Resource & Service Administration (HRSA).
- Support educational institutions by facilitating private-educational partnerships that would offer joint appointments for clinical educators/faculty or by establishing a NYS-Graduate Nurse Education (GNE) demonstration program similar to the federal one that would support the costs of training and preceptors at clinical sites.
- Advocate with the existing Boards of Professional Education, licensing boards, and higher education committees to require the inclusion of curriculum on the intersectionality of professional work with older adults.
MPA Council Commentary
This proposal is categorized as long-term. The State offers a variety of incentives and has many requirements related to the education and training of healthcare workers and would need to further evaluate the tradeoffs associated with incorporating an additional focus on geriatric specialties into these programs. Any additional funding would need to be considered through the annual State budget process and would be subject to the availability of resources.