LAFAYETTE, La. (Leigh Guidry/The Advertiser)- As the population ages, the need for skilled health care workers and the desire for care at home is growing. 

So industry and educational leaders are working together to include curriculum and hands-on training about home health-care in nursing programs.

LHC Group has partnered with South Louisiana Community College to create a simulation lab that looks like a patient’s bedroom, living room and bathroom, complete with a mannequin for training. It is part of a large skills lab that encompasses much of the second floor of the new Health and Sciences Building and also includes a labor and delivery simulation area and more.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of home health aides and personal care aides is projected to grow 41 percent from 2016 to 2026, “much faster than the average” for all occupations.

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