Who is The Culture Change Network of Georgia?
The Culture Change Network of Georgia (CCNG) is a group of dedicated supporters and stakeholders working as partners to promote and foster culture change to improve the quality of life for older Georgians in all settings where aging services are delivered.
As the clearinghouse of organizations and providers working on person-centered long-term care in multiple care settings, we build common knowledge, support, commitment and relationships among those represented, and coordinate with other existing groups that have similar goals and interests.
CCNG was founded in 2008 by Walter Coffey and Kim McRae, along with an innovative and committed group of individuals from various organizations, agencies and higher education institutions, who wanted to change the culture of aging in Georgia to become more person-directed.
Introducing the Building Resources for Delivering Person-Centered Care in Georgia Nursing Homes Project
Georgia State University’s Gerontology Institute recently received a $1.6 million joint grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Georgia State Survey Agency to support this three-year training and development project.
This project builds on the momentum of the Culture Change Network of Georgia, whose efforts have been ongoing to support Culture Change and Person-Centered Care across long-term care services and support organizations. The multiyear project is led by Dr. Jennifer Craft Morgan, Assistant Professor of Gerontology, and Dr. Elisabeth O. Burgess, Director of the Gerontology Institute in the College of Arts and Sciences at Georgia State University.
The team will use grant funds to develop a sustainable program model aimed at improving the quality of life of Georgia nursing home residents, including those living with dementia, by providing important resources, staff development, and training to the state’s 374 nursing homes. The overall aim of this project is to create a sustainable model for improving the quality of life for nursing home residents in Georgia.
The Project Will Include the Following Components:
- A three-stage needs assessment of Georgia’s nursing homes
- Real-time, web-based information and resources for Georgia’s nursing homes
- Stakeholder engagement across the state, providing awareness education on Culture Change, Person-Centered Care, and living with dementia
- An interactive competency-based online continuing education training for nursing home staff (all levels), residents and informal care partners.
Meet Our Team
For this project, Dr. Jennifer Craft Morgan (Principal Investigator) and Dr. Elisabeth Burgess (Co-Principal Investigator) are partnering with the Culture Change Network of Georgia (CCNG). LeadingAge Georgia, led by Ginny Helms, President and CEO. LeadingAge Georgia will receive a subcontract to convene the CCNG and partner with other key stakeholders who will serve as advisers to the project. Project consultants are: Walter Coffey, Co-Founder CCNG and Managing Director WD International; Kim McRae, Co-Founder CCNG and President, Have a Good Life; Rose Marie Fagan, Co-Founder and Founding Executive Director, Pioneer Network; and Joan Carlson, Principal, JMC Consulting.
