Geriatric Mental Health Disaster and Emergency Preparedness

Appendix I A Guide to Developing Training Programs 381
and implement a program is at the discretion of the management. Please
follow your agency guidelines and go through the proper channels.
Establish a Budget
After approval has been granted, an internal budget should be created
to determine the cost of implementing an emergency training program
within an organization’s infrastructure. Budget constraints may influence
the length of training offered. The organization’s fiscal department will
be able to assist in short-term and long-term budget planning.
Needs Assessment
One of the most critical steps in developing geriatric emergency preparedness
training is to conduct a needs assessment of the organization.
This will determine where the agency lacks disaster preparedness knowledge,
prevention, and intervention. A thorough needs assessment will aid
tremendously in planning and implementing a training program.
Implementing the Training
After designing a tailored geriatric emergency preparedness program
specific to the needs of the organization, the next step is to actually implement
the training program. The administrator or director should determine
any applicable mandates, such as whether the agency’s entire
staff is required to participate, the length and frequency of the training,
and any post-training certifications offered for training participants.
Post-Training Assessment and Evaluation
The final step in implementing a geriatric emergency preparedness
program at a particular agency or organization is to properly assess the
program. Participants of the training should complete an itemized questionnaire
or other applicable tool to evaluate the program. Findings
should be written up, evaluated, and submitted to organizational leadership
for future planning.
Principles of Adult Learning
Since the trainees will generally be adults with varied backgrounds
and experiences, it is imperative that the curriculum be geared toward