Strengthening the senior care workforce in Indiana
Challenges to complex care management for seniors in Indiana
14.1%
Percent of adults aged 70 and up living with a mental disorder1
#1 & 2
Depression and anxiety are the top two most common mental health conditions for older adults2
34%
Estimates suggest that more than one-third of older people may be socially isolated3
30.8%
Percent of adults aged 65 and up in Indiana reported falling in the last year4
For the third straight year, UnitedHealthcare is funding an innovative learning program to educate and provide learning resources to care providers serving seniors in Indiana.
The recent investment will fund a monthly series of educational sessions that will follow the Project ECHO learning model hosted by health experts from the Indiana University School of Medicine program “Innovating, Maximizing and Advancing Geriatric Education” (imAGE).
Building on the 12 educational offerings hosted by imAGE in 2025, each virtual session is designed to equip service providers — including nursing home staff, home health agencies, community-based professionals — with evidence-based practices that will help them:
- improve care quality
- reduce hospitalizations
- enhance patient outcomes
"We're proud to support imAGE and the Indiana University School of Medicine in their vital mission to help caregivers provide the best possible service to Hoosiers," said Chad Piper, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Indiana.
What is the Innovating, Maximizing and Advancing Geriatric Education (imAGE) program?
The imAGE program was developed by the IU School of Medicine to better train health care providers and other cross-discipline professionals working with seniors, including the geriatric care workforce serving older adults enrolled in the Indiana Pathways for Aging program.
What will be covered in imAGE’s monthly ECHO learning sessions?
This sessions will closely mirror the 2025 ECHO series, which featured 12 monthly 90-minute sessions with a case study review and wellness presentation. Key themes will include dementia services and supports, social isolation, advance care planning, mobility, medications, mindfulness, COPD, and a range of eldercare topics facing LTSS providers today.
"Our partnership is helping thousands of professionals across the community gain a greater understanding of the leading practices in complex care management for seniors — and we were thrilled to renew this commitment in 2026."
Sources
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, "2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD)"
- World Health Organization, Global Health Estimates (GHE) 2021
- World Health Organization, "From loneliness to social connection: charting a path to healthier societies"
- CDC, "Nonfatal and Fatal Falls Among Adults Aged ≥65 Years — United States, 2020–2021"
