About
Training new youth volunteers before they meet with seniors in care facilities can require a significant amount of time and resources from care facility staff. As of right now, there is no free, standardized and accessible training option to certify prospective volunteers. This is even more important in the case of memory care and dementia facilities.
Lifting Hearts with the Arts is partnering with seniors at care facilities as well as a research advisory board consisting of experts in the field of aging and intergenerational work to co-create online training modules. Topics include general volunteer training, ageism awareness, memory care community training and more. Modules consist of slides, digitally animated videos and videos from experts and seniors, and are followed by a short quiz that if passed, provides the user with a certificate of completion. After prospective volunteers complete and pass the module, they will receive a certificate and written summary of the module content that they can refer back to for additional information.
This program is in it's pilot year (23-24) and is currently sponsored by Innovation80. We are in the process of looking for more funding to maximize the research, impact and spread of the program. Our goal is to expand these modules to youth, care facilities for training and others, across the country, free of charge.
Lifting Hearts with the Arts is partnering with seniors at care facilities as well as a research advisory board consisting of experts in the field of aging and intergenerational work to co-create online training modules. Topics include general volunteer training, ageism awareness, memory care community training and more. Modules consist of slides, digitally animated videos and videos from experts and seniors, and are followed by a short quiz that if passed, provides the user with a certificate of completion. After prospective volunteers complete and pass the module, they will receive a certificate and written summary of the module content that they can refer back to for additional information.
This program is in it's pilot year (23-24) and is currently sponsored by Innovation80. We are in the process of looking for more funding to maximize the research, impact and spread of the program. Our goal is to expand these modules to youth, care facilities for training and others, across the country, free of charge.
Research Advisory board
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Lauren Cerino Technical Associate at the MIT AgeLab Lauren's current research explores topics including longevity planning, social robotics, aging in place, and more. She also co-manages OMEGA, an intergenerational outreach program, and contributes to data management across various projects. Prior to joining the AgeLab, Lauren earned her BA in computer science and human development from Connecticut College, where she was involved in community outreach initiatives and early childhood programming. |
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Jamie Mayer, Ph.D. Associate professor in the Northern Illinois University School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders Dr. Mayer currently researches treatment of adult neurogenic language disorders, aphasia assessment and treatment, gerontology, and enhancing communication and quality of life for individuals with dementia. She is a member of the national Music and Memory organization, and serves as the faculty mentor to NIU's Music and Memory student association, a group that aims to to improve quality of life for individuals with dementia living in long-term care settings. |
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Krish Sardesai MS3 at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine Hello! My name is Krish, a third-year medical student living in Kansas City, Missouri. Speaking with my grandparents in my native language, Konkani, is something so meaningful to me because of what communication allows us to do. Understanding one another, across generations, enables mutual appreciation of experiences and wisdom previously foreign to us, and nothing is as fulfilling as human interaction! Needless to say, I am thrilled to be a part of this LHA initiative! I enjoy playing basketball, spending time with my family, and reading books about social sciences. As a medical trainee, I enjoy researching bone metabolism as an aspiring orthopaedic surgeon. I am always very excited to be able to speak with and help treat my patients, from newborns to the elderly! |
