STAYING IN TOUCH

Most health care professionals enter the field because they genuinely love elders. They honestly like assisting those who need some help with daily functions. But, genuine desires to be a good caregiver can get covered over, at times, with the challenges of the work itself.

Of course, personal care of those with dementia can be both physically and mentally exhausting. It can be challenging to maintain a positive spirit when memory loss of those being cared for causes them to question whether their needs have been attended to. When residents say, "When are we going to eat?" and lunch was just finished 30 minutes ago, it takes an extra amount of patience to give a comforting reply.

In addition, health care professionals also have "outside of work" issues with which to deal. Imagine a day beginning with a sick child needing attention, followed by car problems, bad weather and arriving at work only to discover that a co-worker is ill and the staff will be stretched all day. A care professional could begin the day frazzled. Then when residents make requests (similar to ones they make every day), the reaction of the caregiver might be quite different from normal.

Although making life fulfilling for those with dementia is the primary goal, it can only be accomplished if health care professionals have technqiues for resolving the ever swirling challenges surrounding them. This program is all about arming you with skills to turn negatives into positives.

This program will focus on issues like:

• The six major emotional needs of those with dementia and what care professionals can do to meet those needs
• Why communication gets "goofed up" between caregivers and those with dementia and ways to prevent it
• How to build a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere for residents and the positive results of this environment for caregivers
• The skills of listening so that those with dementia want to talk
• Simple, excellent ways to help elders be responsive and cooperative
• Excellent, tested techniques to inform others when you're the one needing a listening ear or some consideration
• The absolute magic of trigger/flash moments for those with dementia and how to create them
• Activities that are fun for everyone--far more than just another thing to check off the "to do" list

The lives of those with dementia, their families, CNA's, nurse supervisors, and administrators all become entwined. The care setting becomes a small community, and like in any community, people come and go, problems arise that affect everyone (weather, utility failures, etc.), and bonds form that make life fulfilling.

When all members of the community commit to the goal of providing  EXTRAORDINARY care, the tedious elements of work give way to the fun of maintaining and improving the environment.

Participants love this program because it has no elements of finding fault. Instead it builds on the native strengths of those attending. People leave feeling appreciated for working with special people who have dementia.

It is called a workshop because you won't sit and listen to instructors drone on talking about psychological mumbo jumbo. This is a hands-on, high participation program where you learn by doing. You won't have to read any homework assignments to figure out how to put the ideas to use.  You'll walk out the door knowing what to do and how to do it.

You'll meet a mother/daughter instructor team who has spoken to hundreds of people like you, has conducted programs all over the world and is just plain captivating. In one moment your sides will hurt from laughing...in the next, your heart will be warmed as they walk you through breathtaking video clips of the unedited moments of joy brought to the matriarch of their family during the time she was being cared for, listened to, engaged in activities and loved throughout her final months.

You will be involved in discussion groups several times to talk about real problems being experienced by real people right now. And, you'll walk away with a bucket full of practical ideas that have been used and actually work.

Our professional trainings are conducted in several formats. The most popular is a one day workshop repeated back-to-back (allowing staff members to be divided evenly between the two days -- and, as a result -- training the entire team). We also offer a multi-day format conducted in or near a care community and followed by one day in which the instructors work onsite (with care professionals and their residents) to reinforce newly learned skills.

Please contact us with any questions or inquiries.