Preparing for the boom! Challenges in workforce development for public health social workers to meet the health promotion challenges of aging “boomers”

Increasingly older adults are “aging in place” and remaining in their home community. Healthcare and oral health needs will be addressed by both current and the upcoming workforce of healthcare providers. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare allied health and public health social workers perceptions to health promotion activities. METHODS: A needs assessment was carried out to help formulate an area plan using 29 Likert-scale items. Respondents (n=112) were social service providers or dental hygiene (DH) & social work (SW) students working in the rural Midwest. An instrument utilizing a four (4) point Likert scale for specific service needs and a demographic section was used in the process. Screening items included oral health, mental vitality,diabetes, cholesterol, & blood pressure. RESULTS: Both cohorts of students were more likely to view oral health prevention as important when compared to current providers in the workforce (p<.05). SW students were less likely to see oral health and blood pressure screenings as being important as compared to DH students (p<.05). Advocacy was perceived by SW students and providers to be the most important an activity for public health social work (p<.05). CONCLUSIONS: Educational efforts need to target current providers to address health screenings and to stress the role they play with one's overall health in geriatrics. Specific challenges will be addressed as part of the curriculum's advocacy training for the preparation of the public health social work workforce, while continuing education stressing health promotion is critical for current providers.