Pima Council on Aging Joins Forces with Caregiver Training Institute
TUCSON, AZ – Pima Council on Aging (PCOA) proudly announces a restructuring that will bring the Caregiver Training Institute (CGTI) into the Pima Council on Aging family of nonprofit companies as a subsidiary organization. The mutual goals of both organizations are to raise the standard for the competence of the health care workers in the greater community and increase the numbers of available caregivers in Pima County. PCOA is grateful to have received grants of $100,000 from the Margaret E. Mooney Foundation and $15,000 from Arizona Together for Impact to support the integration.
CGTI is a nonprofit organization that will function as a subsidiary company of Pima Council on Aging with a board of directors comprised of representatives of both organizations. “We believe it is absolutely essential to maintain and expand the workforce of trained CNAs, certified caregivers, assisted living managers and direct care workers in our community to meet the challenges of today’s crisis and prepare for the future,” says PCOA President & CEO W. Mark Clark. “Taking this step will ensure CGTI’s continued ability to provide excellent training programs to meet this growing need.”
Services that help older adults in Pima County to receive quality care at home and in care settings rely heavily on the caregiving workforce and the success of training programs that produce high-quality workers. The Caregiver Training Institute has been providing excellent training programs in Tucson for nearly twenty years, and has trained thousands of certified nursing assistants, certified caregivers and assisted living managers. CGTI’s mission is to be the leader in healthcare education by elevating standards in training, inspiring excellence in their students and positively impacting our community. Administrative and programming support from Pima Council on Aging will ensure CGTI’s continued success in carrying out this mission and expanding to meet the growing need for excellent caregiving professionals.
PCOA has been working in the area of caregiver workforce development for a number of years, and with a number of local home care agencies to provide in-home care to more than 1,100 older adults across Pima County. PimaCare at Home, a subsidiary homecare agency of PCOA, employs nearly 100 direct care workers to provide non-medical home care services. PCOA offers a state-approved Arizona Direct Care Worker Certification program featuring hands-on training in a home-like skills lab to both their own direct care workers, and the greater community.
Founded in 1967, PCOA is the Area Agency on Aging for Pima County, whose mission is to promote dignity and respect for aging, and to advocate for independence in the lives of Pima County’s older adults and their families. PCOA is Pima County’s leading expert on aging well, advocacy, and unbiased information for older people and their families.