For caregiver Lidia Mawalu, increased empathy for care recipients was the secret ingredient in CalGrows, a game-changing training program for paid and volunteer caregivers throughout California.

"I’m so happy to understand more about this beautiful lady here," Lidia says of care recipient Corrina Rucka, who attended a ceremony honoring CalGrows participants like Lidia.

"(Understanding more of) what goes through her mind from when she wakes up till she goes to bed, understanding what (care recipients) go through," Lidia continues. "Some are by themselves, some are missing loved ones."

Lidia was among a cohort of Fijian caregivers benefiting from CalGrows courses through Stanford Medicine’s Longevity and Healthy Aging Program. More than 21,000 caregivers throughout California completed more than 160,000 free CalGrows courses, many earning a combined $20 million in incentives while improving their skills in the training program that concluded in fall 2024.

With newfound insights, Lidia now "explains what she’s doing, and why," Corrina says. "I’m very proud of her. She supports me in every way she can."

Lidia strives to put herself in care recipients’ shoes. "As we age," she says, "when we have the right people (around), it gives us more enthusiasm to live, to keep moving."

Programs providing care to caregivers have been a staple of aging services in California for 50 years and counting.