E training of Inmate Peer Caregivers for Enhancing Geriatric and End of life Care in Prisons

The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world imprisoning people per The older adult segment of the prison population has more than tripled since and their health issues are common to free people who are years their senior Inmates over the age of have a death rate that is times that of prisoners aged US prison systems are facing sharply increased demands in caring for aged and dying inmates A recent systematic review revealed that inmate peer caregivers can figure prominently in delivery of end of life EOL care in prison However the degree of training received by inmate peer caregivers varies widely The lack of consistent training both in content and duration points to a need for evidence based current and readily accessible training for this abundant human resource for meeting a growing need in US prisons In response to this need this Phase I STTR project titled E training of Inmate Peer Caregivers for Enhancing Geriatric and End of Life Care in Prisons will demonstrate the scientific merit and feasibility of developing cutting edge media rich learning modules to train inmate peer caregivers in geriatric and EOL care The specific aims of the project are to transform best practices in inmate peer caregiving into a comprehensive training program that consists of media rich and highly interactive computer based learning modules for providing geriatric and EOL care to their peers and conduct in person usability testing of the media rich and highly interactive web based prototypes with inmates who are currently Mental Health Peer Support Specialists i e prisoners who are experienced caregivers but na ve to geriatric and EOL care to evaluate the user interface ease of use and perceived barriers in order to refine and optimize the product In collaboration with an advisory board of experts in prison healthcare geriatrics ethics palliative hospice care and oversight of an inmate peer support program we will plan and develop discussion guides and then conduct focus groups with three groups of prison stakeholders inmates who serve as peer caregivers for aged or dying peers interdisciplinary staff who care for or oversee care of aged and dying inmates and training and information technology staff One focus group with each of the above three constituent groups will be held at a menandapos s and a womenandapos s prison Focus groups will permit us to ensure that the design and technology plans match what is allowable for inmate training and will allow us to isolate essential geriatric and EOL content for specification in the development of the comprehensive training program Finally we will create and evaluate prototypes of media rich interactive computer based learning modules for inmates serving as peer caregivers At the end of Phase I we will have a specifications document for the design of modules that fit with the technology available in corrections settings is permissible to be used by inmates represents the critical learning needs of inmate peer caregivers for assisting with geriatric and EOL care and further develops our collaborative relationships in preparation for commercialization of the product The mission of corrections is to provide care custody and control for incarcerated individuals United State prisons are required by constitutional law to provide adequate care for growing numbers of older inmates who will likely spend their final days in prison This Phase I project focuses on research and development of highly interactive computer based learning modules for inmate peer caregivers to promote an integrated systems approach to enhancing the care of the aged and dying in prisons