Back-To-School

By Roberto Muñiz  

 

With Rutgers University in Parker’s backyard (literally), back-to-school time is evident – whether it’s a new round of interns joining us here at Parker – or the increased traffic as 30,000+ students are accessing the many campuses in our area!



This time of year is always an opportunity to think about “back-to-school” opportunities for our own employees. Whether participating in Parker’s internal leadership and management training, utilizing our tuition reimbursement program, or signing up for courses or workshops at industry events, it is vital to keep our employees educated, informed and up-to-date on best practices and future opportunities. When a new resident’s family steps foot into Parker they expect us to be well-prepared to take care of their loved one, now and in the future.



As aging services providers we understand our responsibility to provide and support opportunities for continuous learning for employees – at every level of the organization. But how many of us are thinking about how we can impact training and education on a broader level?



Who else but nonprofit providers are better suited to help train the doctors, nurses, rehabilitation professionals and other clinicians who will be working alongside us as we provide care and services to seniors in a multitude of settings?



I’ve seen many interesting models and partnerships that LeadingAge members, including Parker, are developing with universities, technical schools, and medical centers. Whether by influencing curriculum, providing opportunities to train within our settings, supporting pilot projects, or participating in research, there are many ways we can and should influence and impact the care and services seniors will receive.



It’s time for all of us to become more visible partners in the education and training of aging services professionals.