Stanford Direct Care Worker Longevity, HEalthspan Aging, Dementia, and End-of-life CaRe (LEADER) Program was launched in 2016 by Prof. VJ Periyakoil to promote health equity for the most vulnerable and underserved populations of older adults in the community. This is a non-degree professional training initiative to train allied health professionals to provide culturally respectful care for our patients and families. The Periyakoil lab (SAGE Lab) work is currently being expanded through a recent grant from the State of California.
We seek to provide direct care workers the opportunity to receive the key knowledge and skills to provide the best possible care to the patients they serve.
Why does the Stanford SAGE Lab train direct care workers and other allied health professionals?
Personal care aides, home health aides, certified nurse assistants, community health workers, and promotores are known as direct care workers. They are paid professionals who provide hands-on, daily assistance to older adults and persons with disabilities. Direct care workers work in various settings, ranging from private homes, community or group home environments, with the primary goal of optimizing their clients’ quality of life. Their unwavering commitment revolves around supporting individuals to stay within their familiar homes or communities for as long as possible, offering essential care and invaluable support. Dr. Periyakoil’s SAGE Lab provides free training to direct care workers with the goal of helping their professional advancement and specifically to improve the care of the patients they serve.
What is the Stanford Direct Care Worker Longevity, HEalthspan Aging, Dementia, and End-of-life CaRe (LEADER) Program
The Stanford Direct Care LEADER training program offers the training in person, virtual, or hybrid formats. It is a 50-hour program for students to learn and acquire skills over 12 weeks.
The LEADER training program consists of four parts:
- Didactic learning about longevity, aging, dementia, and end-of-life issues.
- Skill acquisition to do a basic assessment of older adults.
- Mentored field project to advance the care of diverse older adults in the community.
- Ongoing learning and mentoring to advance their knowledge and to be able to participate in professional advancement opportunities.