Dr. Chodosh presented many aspects of the NYU Aging Incubator today (see the slideshow here), including some of the points below. Did any particular points stand out to you? Are there are any particular points on which you’re interested to contribute, particularly as a Tandon STEM student?
NYU Family Support Program – Buddy Program (NYSDOH)
The involvement of the NYU Aging Incubator in the Buddy Program stood out to me because of how students are able to be paired up with people with early Alzheimer’s not only to support family caregivers, but for a mutual learning experience. I think it is super important for a student to be face-to-face with a person / people who are battling the illness that they are studying. I feel that just studying the illness in the books is not enough, even briefly speaking to someone with the illness. The Buddy Program is important because it allows the students to be paired with a person battling Alzheimer’s, enabling the student to connect with the person on a more personal and emotional level, giving the students huge insight on what life is like for someone who battles Alzheimer’s. Connecting with those who battle illness, especially on this level, allows for deeper understanding and compassion in acknowledging just how serious it can be for some.
As someone with multiple sclerosis, I learned that battling the same illness as someone else with the same condition doesn’t mean I experience the same things, physically AND mentally. One may study multiple sclerosis and think they understand what it is like for someone who deals with it until they talk to me and hear a whole different perspective on how I cope mentally, what my views on current treatment methods are, and what I hope to see in the future regarding technology and medication to better the lives of those who battle MS.
That’s why I believe the Buddy Program is amazing. Pair up with someone who is battling Alzheimer’s and connect with them on a deeper level to better understand NOT the illness itself, but more so how people are coping and what headspace are they are left in after constant bouts with their illness. In addition to supporting family caregivers, I know this program is effective at giving students an incredibly helpful perspective on facets (mental, emotion, physiological) of the illness that they may have not already considered.
Diversity+Tech 