Free immersive online training available for California caregivers

Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing partners with Embodied Labs to provide direct care workers, friends and family caregivers with cutting edge technology

GLENDALE, Calif., Feb. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- California caregivers can see the world through the eyes of the people they care for through a free immersive online training developed by Embodied Labs, in partnership with Front Porch and the Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing (FPCIW).

The award-winning caregiver training platform is available for paid care workers, as well as for family or friend caregivers of older adults in California. The online program gives users a first-person perspective, allowing viewers to embody a variety of experiences including end-of-life conversations, transitions of care, Alzheimer's disease, macular degeneration and more.

FPCIW is partnering as a Center of Excellence with Embodied Labs, a CalGrows Innovation Fund Award Winner, to offer free training to direct care workers and friends/family caregivers in California. "Front Porch is committed to sharing the Embodied Labs program for free to 500 direct care workers and 5,000 family and friend caregivers throughout California as well as to its community caregiver staff, residents and their loved ones," says Davis Park, vice president of FPCIW. "Through immersive experiences, formal and informal caregivers can embody the perspectives and conditions of other people, gaining a unique understanding not found in traditional training tools."

Direct care workers, including home care aides, care coordinators or care managers, dementia care specialists, non-IHSS affiliated personal care assistants, activities coordinators, transportation providers, community health workers, and certified nursing assistants, can experience a VR or a desktop computer web-immersive experience.

Friends and family caregivers can access short videos on their computers that allow participants to experience a 360-view from the perspective of an adult needing care. All content is available in both English and Spanish.

More information on the program, including links to register, is available at the Center's website.

"Embodied Labs is using the power of VR and immersive storytelling to help caregivers, family members, staff, and students see the world through the eyes of the people they care for and care about," said Kari Olson, president of FPCIW. "We are thrilled to expand access to this innovative training platform particularly because of the dynamic way it can bring people together and improve lives."

Over 30 million Americans provided unpaid caregiving to older adults in the past year, according to the Family Caregiver Alliance. "Embodied Labs is positioned to support these heroes by providing caregiver training and tools that build empathy and understanding," says Park. 

"Our vision is to offer a deeper understanding of the perspectives and health conditions lived by others, through our shared immersive training experiences," says Carrie Shaw, founder and CEO of Embodied Labs. "By expanding our technology offering through our online platform, we can reach more people, and further build that bridge to understanding more effectively and empowering more humanistic care."

About the Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing

The Front Porch Center for Innovation and Wellbeing (FPCIW) is part of Front Porch, a dynamic not-for-profit organization, dedicated to empowering individuals to live connected and fulfilled lives through community and innovation. FPCIW pilots innovative solutions to solve real-world problems and meet the needs of older adults in collaboration with innovative partner organizations. Learn more at https://fpciw.org/.

About Embodied Labs

Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Embodied Labs is the leader in immersive training for healthier aging. In use by a range of organizations in senior living, home care, government, academia and corporations, the training labs include: The Frank Lab (social isolation); The Beatriz Lab (Alzheimer's Disease); The Alfred Lab (Macular Degeneration and High Frequency Hearing Loss); The Clay Lab (End of Life Conversations); The Dima Lab (Lewy Body Dementia and Parkinson's Disease) and The Eden Lab (Trans Health & LGBT Aging).For more information, please visit www.embodiedlabs.com.

Media Contact: Laura Darling, VP of Communications
Front Porch Communities and Services
[email protected] 
818-482-7597

SOURCE Front Porch