| “Trading Ages” |
| Friday, 03 December 2010 20:18 | |||
 San Joaquin, California, December 2010 — Staff members of the Aging and Community Services Department of the San Joaquin County Human Services Agency recently experienced firsthand some of the challenges that come with aging. The experience was part of “Trading Ages,” a unique training program that was developed and conducted by the not-for-profit SCAN Health Plan. scanhealthplan.com
Trading Ages is an interactive workshop that allows younger participants to actively experience a series of age-related conditions such as hearing loss, vision changes and loss of dexterity. The training helps participants understand how challenges associated with aging can affect everyday activities, behaviors and actions. During the training each person discussed their thoughts, confronted their preconceived notions about older adults and aging, and identified strategies to improve their interactions with older adults. According to Donna Anderson, adult services division chief for San Joaquin County, one of the social workers who participated was so moved by the training that she said she planned to go back and reassess a client she had seen the week before. “She was concerned that she had underestimated the impact of a client’s condition,” said Anderson. “That is the best possible outcome of a training — having staff immediately incorporate new information into their practice.” Those taking part in the training included case managers, social workers, in-home support-services staff, community service workers, and information and assistance staff. All work directly with older adults in their day-to-day duties. Many of them were surprised by how they reacted to certain physical limitations that were mimicked during the training. To simulate the difficulties of living with arthritis, program participants were asked to don heavy, clumsy gloves and then button their shirts or open medication bottles and handle small pills. Participants also put popcorn in their shoes and walked around to simulate the feeling of painful joints. Others strapped their arm to their side to see how limiting it can be to deal with the effects of a stroke. Depriving participants of the level of hearing and sight that most people enjoy their entire lives is also a critical part of the program. Ear plugs were used followed by a hearing test to demonstrate how isolating hearing loss can be. Perhaps most difficult for many participants was when they were asked to wear special glasses that severely limited their vision and approximated many of the vision challenges and disorders that accompany aging. For further information on the program, go to scanhealthplan.com. SOURCE: San Joaquin County Human Services Agency
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