Alex Camp is a freelance journalist with a master’s in public administration, specializing in public affairs reporting, from University of Illinois Springfield.
A new initiative at the Rush Center for Excellence in Aging aims to aid older adults and healthcare students through short films. Through the Schaalman Senior Voices Program, which launched last year, older adults share their personal journeys, perspectives on aging, and what’s essential to their care.
The short films are showcased on Rush’s website for healthcare students, older adults, and caregivers to view. The goal: to record and distribute the wisdom of older adults and increase their well-being.
“The films are being used to teach future healthcare students about what matters to older adults, so when they’re doing their work with older adults, the students can come in and ask them what matters to them. It will make a huge difference,” says Robyn Golden, associate vice president of population health and aging at Rush.
One of the program’s chief benefits is the empowerment of older adults. “As we get older, we like to be a little more in control of our lives,” Golden says. “The Schaalman Senior Voices Program is a way of seniors grabbing that ownership and saying, ‘This is what matters to me.’”
