VCU Gerontology and the Virginia Center on Aging recently released their ground-breaking trauma-informed care toolkit, a no-cost online resource for nursing home communities that is the first of its kind nationally.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) now requires nursing homes in the U.S. to provide trauma-informed care for residents, thus, there is an opportunity for a framework to support education on trauma-informed care. The VCU Trauma-Informed Care Toolkit, which features evidence-based guidebooks, assessments, training videos and organizational strategies, meets a vital need for organizational support of nursing home residents – grounded in innovative gerontological research.

Implementing trauma-informed care in nursing homes involves training staff to recognize trauma symptoms, creating supportive environments and designing care plans that are sensitive to the trauma history of residents. This approach helps improve the overall well-being of people who live in nursing homes by creating a more supportive and compassionate care environment.

Over three years, VCU Gerontology and the Virginia Center on Aging partnered with Family and Children’s Trust Fund of Virginia, LeadingAge Virginia, Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS), nursing home staff and an advisory group of providers, subject matter experts and family members to create this toolkit.

As Virginia’s leading authority on aging, VCU Gerontology and the Virginia Center on Aging stand at the forefront of innovative research. Faculty Gigi Amateau, Ph.D., Tracey Gendron, Ph.D. and Annie Rhodes, Ph.D. conducted interviews and focus groups with certified nursing assistants (CNA) across the Commonwealth to discuss their needs for optimally supporting residents. CNAs understood the importance of person-centered, trauma-informed care, yet they described nursing home environments where lack of training and scarce structural support are common challenges. Many expressed difficulty providing the level of care residents required without these resources.

“Hearing the experiences of [certified nursing assistants] CNAs, who provide 90% of hands-on care, inspired the toolkit,” Gigi Amateau, Ph.D., Assistant Professor with the VCU Department of Gerontology, VCU Health Humanities Lab Health Equity Faculty Fellow and Director of VCU Gerontology’s Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed Care Lab said. “We hope this resource will help nursing home staff plan how to implement trauma-informed care and inspire them to imagine their communities as spaces where residents can heal, thrive and flourish.”

While nursing homes have been working from a framework called person-centered care for quite some time, the trauma-informed care approach, which is in many ways an extension of person-centeredness, may be new for some communities. This crucial need for training and structural support motivated DMAS to fund this toolkit through a Civil Monetary Penalty Fund grant to support trauma-informed care services and better resident outcomes.

One hundred nursing home staff from across the country responded to a nationwide survey of nursing home employees where three short training videos were tested and input was requested to make the toolkit compelling. Additionally, in-person and virtual professional development workshops were conducted with several hundred nursing home staff to test the training approach and have conversations with about resources and information that would be helpful.

“The toolkit is one way that we wanted to lift up trauma-informed care as an approach that is about organizational cultures of connection, equity and justice rather than a unilateral set of tasks and activities,” said Amateau.

This extensive resource consists of dynamic, engaging content - featuring evidence-based guidebooks, fact sheets, assessments, training videos and strategies conveyed through multi-media elements and engaging writing.

“There are many seminal reports and key scientific articles included or referenced in the toolkit,” said Amateau. “There are also some great multi-media jewels - podcasts, short videos - that can make training and professional development interesting and engaging.”

Research demonstrates that showing the right support and care can help people feel safe and increase feelings of satisfaction. Utilizing the principles of trauma-informed care can guide us in creating and maintaining a safe, protective environment where all community members can thrive.

Visit the toolkit at https://tictoolkit.vcu.edu/. Want to integrate trauma-informed care into your initiative? For questions or to learn more information about VCU Gerontology’s Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed Care Lab, please contact Gigi Amateau, Ph.D. at amateaugg@vcu.edu.