An exciting new app is pairing college students and older adults. Students who are interested in aging and caregiving can now gain college credits through a healthcare tech tool called CareYaya. In a nutshell, potential caregiver – students from universities are vetted through interviews, background checks, and community reviews. According to the website, “students are motivated by a vested interest in helping and connecting as they prepare for future healthcare careers, not just financial reward.” Care Yaya’s platform uses artificial intelligence to connect students to seniors in their area and it now offers art therapy tools to its users. While the new app is focused on adults living independently, many of the students are now using the Yaya caregiver training to pursue work in a long-term care setting. Some of its features are designed to help seniors who have cognitive challenges by using art and image therapy to prompt memory recall. Programs that join students and seniors thorough the use of technology are sure to be the wave of the future.

Illustration Credit: www.CareYaya.org