Catholic Charities of Stockton Pairs Local Caregivers with SCAN Health Plan for Senior Sensitivity Training

STOCKTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Dozens of local caregivers had the opportunity to “walk in the shoes of an older adult” recently, thanks to senior sensitivity training hosted by SCAN Health Plan and Catholic Charities of Stockton. The Trading Ages program, developed by the not-for-profit SCAN to help people understand more about the aging process, was offered to individuals currently providing care for aging adults.

“As an organization committed to ensuring the dignity of all people, regardless of age, race or religion, this training really hit home,” said Mariann Tran of Catholic Charities of Stockton. “Many of the people we serve interact with older adults on a daily basis, and many of them are primary caregivers to aging family members. This type of training is so important to help people truly understand the physical challenges that come with aging.”

SCAN’s Trading Ages program allows participants to experience age-related conditions such as hearing loss, vision changes and loss of dexterity. The program was initially created by SCAN as a way for its employees to better understand the needs and mindset of its health plan members. While the program continues to be mandatory for all SCAN employees, in recent years SCAN has taken it “on the road” and has been making it available at no cost to physician groups, community agencies, school children and other groups interested in enhancing their sensitivity in interacting with older adults.

“This is by far the most rewarding type of training – when you know you’re going to make an impact on people who interact with seniors on a daily basis,” said Lena Perelman, director of community outreach at SCAN Health Plan.

Catholic Charities provides a variety of social services for the frail elderly, emergency food for families, access to health insurance for children, immigration services for families and abused women, a parish social ministry support program, and legislative advocacy on priority issues.

For more than 30 years, SCAN Health Plan has been focusing on the unique needs of seniors. The company currently has nearly 130,000 members in California and Arizona. Further information may be obtained at scanhealthplan.com.