Generation Xchange Program Volunteers
Being a patient in the hospital can be a very lonely and isolating experience for many older adults. Supported by philanthropic gifts, the UCLA Companion Care Program provides specialized training for volunteers to offer companionship to hospitalized older patients. Volunteers foster social interaction through conversations, board games, supervised walks, and feeding assistance. The program provides the younger generation with a rich opportunity to appreciate the challenges of aging and encourage meaningful connections between the young and the older generation through conversations about life experiences. Volunteers undergo comprehensive orientation which includes learning how to communicate with older patients, how to engage patients in stimulating activities, and how to orient older patients who may be forgetful or confused. The immersive training includes simulation of the physical challenges experienced by older adults. Presently, there are 130 active Companion Care volunteers. The goal is to expand to more clinical areas within the health system. For more information on the program, click HERE.
Our Generation Xchange Program continues its successful growth. We are now operating in 10 schools in under-resourced communities with around 100 senior volunteers in classrooms. We project that the GenX team will devote nearly 30,000 hours to tutoring and mentoring students in grades k-5th this year. For more information, click HERE.
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UCLA Geriatrics Newsletter / Issue 3 / March 2026
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