Centralina Area Agency on Aging (AAA) has developed a LGBT cultural competency training program called Pride in Care NC thanks to a Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services Civil Money Penalty grant. The training will target skilled nursing facility staff and skilled nursing facility resident advocates over the next three years.
Staff training is vitally important and skilled nursing facilities across the country are recognizing their responsibility to educate staff and ensure an inclusive environment for all individuals. By supporting and offering Pride in Care NC training, management and other leaders in skilled nursing facilities make it clear that LGBT discrimination will not be tolerated. Other states like California have passed regulationâŊthat requires each skilled nursing facility regulated by the Department of Public Health to provide bi-annual training on working with LGBT people.
Centralina AAA wants to ensure North Carolina continues to meet the needs of a diverse aging population by offering Pride in Care NC training to skilled nursing facilities across the state. This training is specifically designed with a focus on LGBT elders and helping service providers to understand their needs and how to be sensitive in the delivery of services. It is intended to give paid caregivers/staff those concrete skills for awareness and support for all aging populations no matter their sex, race, religion or sexual identity.
Centralina AAA is partnering with SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders), North Carolina Regional Ombudsman Association, council of governments across NC and various LGBT and senior advocacy groups on this initiative. For more information about the Pride in Care NC initiative, contact Elisa Gregorich 704-348-2726 or egregorich@centralina.org.
We are currently offering our classes for facilities via webinars during COVID-19 and hope to be able to share our classes in your region again soon!
