Community-based geriatric interprofessional training program

This article describes a unique community-based geriatric interprofessional training program that has been in existence for more than 10 years and includes faculty and students from seven health professional schools. Although this program was developed prior to the pandemic, it was delivered without interruption during the pandemic and was adapted to virtual and hybrid models. The training program is designed to teach students how to work collaboratively with older adults over a 6-month period. Students are grouped in interprofessional teams and coupled with faculty and older adults in the community who volunteer to participate in the program. It consists of didactic and experiential components, where students learn standardized tools from different health professions and how to practice using these tools as a team with an older adult. The impact of this program on post-graduation geriatric clinical practice of the participating health professionals is also described. Finally, sustainability factors for a program like this and its application to other patient populations are addressed.