The Southwestern Pennsylvania Partnership for Aging
Background and History
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Partnership for Aging (SWPPA) is a ten
county, 387 member coalition of older adults, caregivers, non-profit
and for-profit aging, long term care and healthcare providers, businesses,
governmental entities and universities committed to improving the social,
emotional, physical and psychological well being of older adults.
SWPPA is comprised of members from Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland Counties, a region having one of the highest population densities of seniors in the nation.
The first coalition of its kind in the state, SWPPA seeks to provide
a neutral forum for education, networking, collaboration, discussion
and advocacy, with the goals of acting as a catalyst for change, improving
the aging program delivery system, improving quality of life for older
adults by fostering independence and control over life situations for
as long as possible, and positively influencing aging public policy.
SWPPA was organized in 1990. Since its formation, SWPPA has held annual
meetings and regional conferences which have attracted speakers including
Maggie Kuhn, founder of the Grey Panthers; Jeannette Takamura and Fernando
Torres-Gil, former Deputy Secretaries of Aging for the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C.; Robyn Stone, Director
of the Institute for the Future of Aging Services in Washington, D.C.;
Catherine Unsino of New York City and Sue Misorski of New Hampshire,
two of the founders of the Pioneer Network, the organization representing
the national culture change movement; Connie Evashwick, Director of
the Center for Health Care Innovation at the University of California,
Long Beach; Robert L. Mollica, Deputy Director of the National
Academy for State Health Policy; Elizabeth Clemmer, Senior Coordinator for
AARP in Washington, D.C.; Sarah Greene Burger, one of the founders
of the National Citizens Coalition for Nursing Home Reform in Washington,
D.C.; and Mary Ann Wilner, former Health Policy Director for the Para-professional
Healthcare Institute in the Bronx, New York. Additionally, SWPPA has
worked with the American Society on Aging, a premiere aging educational
and policy organization, to host three Summer Series on Aging educational
forums for administrative and line staff working in the field of aging
in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Believing that the best and most truly lasting change occurs from local
efforts and buy-in, SWPPA’s work is largely accomplished through
committees. As a result, SWPPA has produced numerous position papers
and studies including Personal Care…Today
and Tomorrow in 1994,
Getting to Know HMOs…A Consumer Education Kit in 1994, The
State of Assisted Living in Pennsylvania in 1996, Pennsylvania’s first
and only current Guide for Guardians in 1998, Direct
Care Workers in Long Term Care … An Emerging Crisis in 2001 and a 2003
~ 2004 Administrative and Legislative Advocacy Directory. Additionally, SWPPA
has developed, tested and implemented a hands-on 40 and a 56 hour Aging
Caregiver Training Curriculum for entry level direct care staff.
Highlights of other SWPPA projects over the last several years follow.
In 1996, SWPPA was the recipient of a grant from the American Society on Aging to explore ways to better coordinate assistive technology use between aging and physical disability consumers, advocates and providers.
In 1997, SWPPA created the Community University Partnership for Aging (CUPSA). This applied research / technology transfer program is a partnership between SWPPA and six local universities ~ the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University, Slippery Rock University, the California State University of Pennsylvania. Since CUPSA’s inception, this project has completed three applied research efforts: A Conditioning Program For Frail Older Adults Aimed at Maintaining Strength and Independence, which is aimed at deferring or delaying older adult movement into a higher level of residential / institutional care and is in operation at twelve community based sites, an Adult Day Care Quality Outcomes Development and Testing Project which developed and implemented outcome measurements for older adults participating in Adult Day Care Centers and is in place at eleven Adult Day Care Centers; and a Pain Management Project for Nursing Facilities which applied pain management best practice educational protocols and is being used in eighteen regional nursing facilities.
In 1999, under the sponsorship of AARP’s national office in Washington, D.C., members of SWPPA’s Mental Health and Aging Committee joined with others interested in the unmet mental health needs of older adults to form the Pennsylvania Mental Health and Aging Coalition. Since this coalition’s inception, they have sponsored three statewide conferences: a 2000 conference in Harrisburg, a 2001 conference in Johnstown, and a 2002 conference in Philadelphia. The coalition also has five regional groups whose work is focused on local networking, advocacy and education, with SWPPA acting as the lead agency for southwestern Pennsylvania’s regional group.
In 2000 and 2001, at the request of the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, SWPPA was involved in reaching out to other regions of the state to explore the feasibility and interest of aging leaders in establishing cross-discipline, multi-county aging coalitions based loosely on SWPPA’s experiences and model. As a result of this effort, northwestern Pennsylvania is exploring the development of such a coalition.
In 2000, SWPPA worked in partnership with other individuals and organizations across Pennsylvania to establish the Pennsylvania Culture Change Coalition. With over 120 members, the coalition is focused on advocating and facilitating deep system change and transformation in the culture of aging by: creating opportunities for communication, networking and learning; building and supporting relationships and community; identifying and promoting transformations in practice, services, public policy and research; and developing and providing access to resources and leadership.
Based on the findings of SWPPA’s 2000 ~ 2001 Workforce Committee, which produced a Direct Care Workers in Long Term Care … An Emerging Crisis report as well as SWPPA’s work in exploring a new model of care de-sign called culture change, SWPPA embarked on a five year regional initiative in late 2001. This initiative, called Healthy Elders … Healthy Jobs , is focused on a five year initiative whose goals are to (1) partner with consumers, family members, long term care providers and area agencies on aging in southwestern PA to educate about culture change and consumer choice; (2) implement and test the administrative, environmental, care and workforce development components of culture change and consumer directed care within those facilities and agencies who desire to test this new concept; (3) work to change the current cycle of direct care worker turnover; (4) replicate successful practices in additional facilities and agencies over time; (5) engage consumers, family members and the full range of caregivers ~ direct care workers, first-line supervisors and administrators ~ at participating sites in a dialogue; (6) work with public policy makers to develop options and choice of care settings, changed workforce development strategies and regulations, and flexible reimbursement systems which support innovation, culture change and consumer directed care aacross the aging continuum; and (7) disseminate information widely on culture change and consumer choice as new ways of doing business within the field of aging.
2002 marked the year that SWPPA initiated its Morris and Esther Glickstein Memorial Lecture. Created by Drs. Stanley and Joan Glickstein, this lecture was designed to provide practical, hands-on educational information to local direct care workers and caregivers. Working in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association Greater PA Chapter, Southwest Regional Office, two nationally recognized experts were chosen to keynote the October 2002 Lecture ~ David Troxell, Executive Director of the Santa Barbara, California Alzheimer’s Association and acclaimed author, with Virginia Bell, of The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer’s Care, and Dr. Steven DeKosky of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the University of Pittsburgh. For the 2003 Morris and Esther Glickstein Memorial Lecture, the guest lecturer was Vicki Schmall, co-author of the nationally acclaimed book The Caregiver Helpbook: Powerful Tools for Caregiving, of West Linn, Oregon. Over these two years, almost 400 regional direct care workers and family caregivers benefited form these educational lectures. 2002 also represented the year that the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) held its 2002 Annual Meeting and Conference in Pittsburgh, with SWPPA and many of it’s members assisting with the local planning, fund raising and coordination of this national educational event.
2003 through 2005 marked the years SWPPA reached back to focus increased attention onto regional and local issues through a Looking Local Again Strategy. Designed to be a time of renewal of vision and commitment together, this effort focused on three major components: expanded educational forums focused on advocacy, a series of regional networking events for SWPPA members and potential members, and increased attention to SWPPA’s Healthy Elders … Healthy Jobs (culture change) Initiative. SWPPA’s advocacy work included the hosting of multiple, local advocacy educational events and the production of an Aging Advocacy Handbook which includes information on Pennsylvania administrative and legislative representatives, including tips on writing, calling and visiting local, state and federal elected officials involved in policy setting. With regard to regional networking meetings, SWPPA has held, and is holding, community building meetings in multiple areas within this region, with a particular focus on creating deepened relationships between SWPPA members. Lastly, SWPPA’s focus on the Healthy Elders … Healthy Jobs (culture change) Initiative have included several educational forums on culture change and consumer direction as ways to re-tool local aging services and service systems to reduce worker turnover and better prepare for meeting the diverse needs of older adults, their caregivers and families, as well as ongoing meetings between the residential and home and community based partners under this initiative.
2005 also marked the year of an expanded website with general information about the organization for the general public and a section for ‘members only’ which includes member alerts, archived issues of SWPPA’s newsletter, Agelines, and detailed member contact information. Please visit www.swppa.org!
SWPPA’s Mission Statement reads as follows: The Southwestern Pennsylvania Partnership for Aging is a regional coalition of individuals and groups who are committed to the well being of an aging population. Our mission is to serve as a catalyst to promote policies, programs and systems change which will improve the quality of life of older adults. To achieve this mission, SWPPA’s objectives include multi-disciplinary, cross-county networking and collaboration; consumer and professional education; dissemination of a broad range of information regarding aging; applied research based on best practice models; policy development and implementation; and advocacy.
For additional information on the
Southwestern Pennsylvania Partnership for Aging (SWPPA),
contact SWPPA.
© 2005-08 Southwestern Pennsylvania Partnership for Aging
All Rights Reserved. Last updated:
23-08-2006
