New England is growing older. By 2030, the number of elders over 65 will increase by an astounding 120 percent in northern New England (Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont), while the number of potential caregivers (customarily women between the age of 25 and 44) will decline by 5 percent over the same time period.

These astonishing statistics were the impetus for PHI to join with community-based partners in Northern New England in establishing the Northern New England LEADS Institute. The Institute’s goal is to ensure a compassionate, skilled, and reliable caregiving workforce as New Englanders age. LEADS stands for “Leadership, Education and Advocacy for Direct Care and Support.”

The LEADS Institute is working with four long-term care provider organizations in each state, helping them to engage their entire staff, from frontline workers to administrators, in a process of organizational change that will strengthen their ability to attract and retain caregivers for the future. The underlying principle of the LEADS Institute, like all PHI programs, is: “quality care through quality jobs.”

For more information about leads, contact AOlins@PHInational.org.

The LEADS Institute is a three-year demonstration program supported by generous commitments from Jane’s Trust and the Langeloth Foundation.