Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration

Long-Term Care

Overview

The Long-Term Care concentration is designed to address the needs of the growing older population who need access to long-term care services (LTSS). The concentration provides the skills needed to lead and manage long-term care facilities, community-based services, and health care organizations working with our Kupuna.

The Long-Term Care concentration may be suitable for those interested in future careers in long-term care, nursing, medicine, health-related non-profits, and research and biomedical related fields. The concentration prepares students for professional schools such as medical school, physician assistant school, nursing school and graduate public health programs. Conferral of a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Long-Term Care does not result in professional NHA licensure.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates with a concentration in Long-Term Care from UH West Oʻahu will be able to:

  • Critical Thinking: Evaluate various situations affecting (encountered in) the long-term care environment and assess how these situations affect the consumer and their health, consistent with long-term care industry standards.
  • Oral Communication: Practice effective oral communication skills in long-term care as evaluated by an understanding by consumers of long-term care, caregivers, and providers.
  • Writing: Create well-organized, conceptual, writing using relevant information from long-term care through writing research papers and proposals, creating PowerPoint presentations, and developing documents (i.e. fact sheets, marketing plans) to communicate information to consumers, caregivers, and providers, consistent with long-term care industry standards.
  • Apply quantitative, technological, and analytical tools and skills to the long-term care environment, including long-term care facilities and community-based organizations, considering different cultures and sub-cultures (i.e. elderly, homeless, Asian-Pacific Islander, and low-income) consistent with long-term care industry standards.
  • Apply the principles of long-term care administration/management to international/global/local issues (i.e. diversity and organizational behavior) affecting various long-term care environments, consistent with long-term care industry standards.
  • Describe and apply the central concepts of long-term care systems, including management, quality care and risk management, financing and reimbursements, and policies and regulations, to the long-term care environment, consistent with industry standards.
  • Assess and justify solutions to problems, policies, and ethical/legal dilemmas within the long-term care environment, creating solutions that are viable according to industry standards.

Internships / Practicums

Internships/practicums provide students with practical work experience using the skills and knowledge gained from the coursework in the Long-Term Care concentration. Sites include long-term care facilities, community-based services ,government agencies, long-term care advocates, ; and payers of long-term care services .

These sites might include nursing and sub-acute facilities, assisted living, hospice, home care, adult day care, the Hawaii State Dept. of Health, The Executive Office on Aging, The City and County Elder Affairs Division, the Healthcare Association of Hawai’i, Meals on Wheels, Senior centers, clubs, and organizations, and Medicare and Medicaid providers. Students are able to choose the specific site they are most interested in and work on projects designed by the student and the organization.

Careers and Earning Potential

Long-Term Care careers are available in both the public and private sectorsIn non-clinical administrative positions, salaries vary depending on position, provider, certification/licensure required, and experience in the field.

For more information on careers and earning potential, visit the Hawaiʻi Career Explorer website.

Student Clubs

A healthcare/long-term care administrator student club is being established at UH West Oʻahu to enhance student learning and provide opportunities to develop leadership skills such as communication, peer and community interaction, work ethics, networking, and teamwork. Slated to begin in Fall 2019, students will have the opportunity to network with healthcare leaders, recent graduates of UH West Oʻahu who currently work in long-term care, and interact with the community of elders, potential users of long-term care services.

Faculty Contact

Dr. Lisa Spencer
Assistant Professor
(808) 689-2483
lisaspen@hawaii.edu