94-05-03 Nursing assistants certified in Louisa County

                                               RELEASE ON RECEIPT

                                      Contact:  Katherine Jackson
          NURSING ASSISTANTS CERTIFIED IN LOUISA COUNTY
     LOUISA, Va., May 4-- Elderly Virginians who live in rural
areas are often institutionalized prematurely due to a critical
shortage of home health care programs.  In a effort to rectify that
problem, ten local residents will be certified to provide health
care to rural elderly citizens.
    On Friday, May 6 at 7 p.m., the Eagle Baptist Church on Rt. 644
will host the second graduation of nursing assistants in rural
Louisa County. It culminates a 9-week intensive course.
    "Research shows that 20 to 30 percent of the people in nursing
homes in rural Virginia could stay home if more health care
services were available," Siegel said.  "By employing more nursing
assistants, that number could be significantly reduced."
       Last year's graduates work in the community, either in home-
based health care or in area nursing homes.  It is expected that
this group will also find work in their rural communities since
there's a pressing need for the kinds of care they've been trained
for, says project manager Marjorie Siegel.
     The certified nursing assistant project falls under the
umbrella of the Alliance of Black Churches Health Project which
focuses on the health needs of African Americans in rural Louisa
and Buckingham.  The NIH-funded project is directed by John
Schorling, M.D. Schorling is assistant professor of medicine at
U.Va.
     This project has been a public/private venture with nursing
instructors from U.Va. and Monticello Area Community Action Agency
in Charlottesville. Funds for textbooks and other supplies were
provided by JABA and MACAA. Other sponsors include Louisa Health
Care Center, Home Health Reliance, Inc. and Home Health, Inc.
     In 1991, armed with the NIH grant, researchers at U.Va. helped
organize the Alliance of Black Churches to improve the health of
African American residents of Louisa County.  Although the grant
will expire soon, community health leaders believe the program has
enough community support to continue indefinitely.
       Certified nursing assistant graduates are:  Edith Dianne
Brooks, Darlene Burrell, Diane Comfort, Edmond Harrison Jr., Karen
Holder, Shirley Johnson, Lillian Jones, LaShaunda Mason, Virginia
Proffitt and Gayle Waller. They are all from Louisa or the
surrounding area.
                               ###

CHARLOTTE A. BUTTNER, PROGRAM SUPPORT TECHNICIAN, HEALTH SCIENCES
CENTER NEWS OFFICE, MCKIM HALL RM 3116, #429, CHARLOTTESVILLE,
VIRGINIA,  22908, 804-924-5679, CAB2J@VIRGINIA.EDU
COMPUSERVE 72203,1033


[Submitted by:  (cab2j@dmt03.mcc.virginia.edu)
               03 May 94 11:32:17 EDT]