Georgia State University, A.G. Rhodes Launch Innovative Elder Care Partnership

ATLANTA— Georgia State University’s Gerontology Institute and A.G. Rhodes, one of Atlanta’s oldest nonprofits and most trusted leaders in rehabilitation and residential senior care, are launching a partnership to tackle critical workforce shortages in elder care.

This collaboration, known as Scholars With A.G. Rhodes at GSU (SWAGR at GSU), offers master’s degree students the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience in long-term care settings while completing their graduate training in gerontology. By combining education with real-world practice, the program aims to strengthen the elder care workforce and enrich the students’ professional development.

SWAGR at GSU offers a unique opportunity for students with nursing backgrounds to pursue a master’s degree in gerontology while gaining practical experience at A.G. Rhodes nursing homes throughout metro Atlanta. The program not only helps fill the growing need for skilled elder care professionals, but it also provides a much-needed pathway for students to establish careers, particularly international students looking to work in the United States.

Jennifer Craft Morgan, director of the Gerontology Institute at Georgia State, said the partnership originated through a conversation she had with A.G. Rhodes CEO Deke Cateau.

“Deke and I were discussing our problems,” Morgan said. “One problem I have is we have a whole bunch of qualified international applicants with nursing educations admitted into the program and unable to get visas without some financial support. And Deke is always looking for quality nurses who can work in his communities.”

The solution was clear to Morgan — they could partner. Her students could receive support while pursuing their graduate education in gerontology, gain direct work experience at A.G. Rhodes and, in the process, prepare to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for their nursing license. In return, they are building a pipeline of nurses eligible for employment at A.G. Rhodes.

“We are thrilled to partner with Georgia State’s Gerontology Institute and work together on innovative solutions to the workforce crisis in our sector,” Cateau said. “The students have settled in well and have already started some great projects that will benefit A.G. Rhodes and the aging services research field. They are eager to learn, build rapport with our elders and are fun to have around.”

The student experience includes:

• 8-16 hours per week of on-site experience at A.G. Rhodes.
• Hands-on interaction with residents and staff.
• Shadowing opportunities with nurses and therapists.
• Participation in quality improvement projects.
• Preparation for the NCLEX exam to become licensed nurses in the U.S.

The master’s degree program in gerontology and the SWAGR at GSU program are both two-year programs. In the students’ first year, they will spend time at A.G. Rhodes nursing homes with their professors and staff to develop ideas for quality improvement projects to support care and quality of life for residents and staff. In their second year, the students will gain clinical experience by shadowing and supporting nurses at A.G. Rhodes nursing homes.

This partnership between two long-standing institutions in Atlanta — the 50-year-old Georgia State Gerontology Institute and the 120-year-old A.G. Rhodes — represents a significant step forward in addressing the challenges faced by the elder care industry.

Morgan emphasized the urgency of their work.

“We’re going to have more older adults over 65 than we have people under 18. If that’s the balance, we need to figure out ways to make life better for people in the later stages of their lives.

The SWAGR at GSU program launched this fall with six students enrolled, including three students in their second year. As the program grows, both organizations hope to expand this model to other partners across Georgia, further strengthening the elder care workforce in the state.

Visit the Gerontology Institute website to learn more about the SWAGR at GSU program.

To learn more about Georgia State’s gerontology master’s program visit https://cas.gsu.edu/program/gerontology-ma/.

To learn more about A.G. Rhodes, visit www.agrhodes.org.

— By Stephanie Scott