Competent to care: strategies to assist staff in caring for elders

A three-pronged approach used at the University of Virginia to improve the competency of staff in caring for older adults within the health system is highlighted. The Geriatric Resource Nurse Model was established more than a decade ago. Subsequent initiatives included the development of eight selflearning educational modules that address common concerns in hospitalized elders. Guidelines were created to highlight a variety of examples of age-appropriate care that managers could use in the staff evaluation process. Finally, the efforts to build a collaborative multidisciplinary environment supportive of exemplary geriatric care are described