TimeOut

TimeOut @UCLA is a program that trains and mobilizes college students in intergenerational service and exchange by connecting them with elders in need of companionship and family caregivers in need of respite. The TimeOut model was originally created in 1986 by Nancy Henkins, PhD, in the Intergenerational Center at Temple University. Funded in the 2013-14 academic year by Mentor Up/AARP Foundation through a grant to the Intergenerational Center at Temple University, TimeOut @UCLA adapted this model while retaining the original triple aims of reducing the isolation of frail older adults, supporting caregiving families, and deepening student interest and experience in the field of gerontology and aging. Over the years the program was funded through generous grants from the Eisner Foundation.

The TimeOut program seeks to build intergenerational mentoring relationships between UCLA students and seniors with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia due to Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. While the original model involved home-visits, TimeOut @UCLA was a drop-off respite program. The program fosters the formation of meaningful and mutually-rewarding relationships between older people, caregivers, and a diverse group of college students interested in careers and/or issues related to aging. The program grants older persons the opportunity to mentor young adults while giving their caregivers a break, maximizes the quality of elders’ lives, and increases their ability to remain at home for as long as possible. In turn, students benefit from mentorship and advice from an older person with a wealth of life and career experiences. In response to the pandemic the standard in-person delivery of the program was modified to an innovative virtual version.

Our experience with TimeOut has taught us that caregivers feel isolated and could benefit from exchanging ideas with others who experience similar circumstances. To address the need to educate, train, and support caregivers we developed CaregiverCorner.org.