AGE-u-cate Training Institute Blog

It's no wonder that we have an ever growing quest for simplicity.  Not just in our personal lives, but this phrase surrounds many conversations within the business community - especially with those of us in senior care.  There is a  recurring plea from senior care professionals today with regards to education.. keep it simple.  Teach us by showing, because we know that when we learn by doing, we're going to retain that knowledge.

Our team was priviledged to have recently been asked to present at the North Dakota Long Term Care Association.  Included in this event was a special one day Frontline Caregiver Conference.  In an industry faced with severe staff shortages, particularly in North Dakota, we certainly applaud the leaders that chose to honor frontline staff with a day to network with other professionals, enjoy some pampering from vendors (massages and mani's to name a few!) and develop new skills to enhance their very demanding jobs.

I use the term inside-out a LOT. It just seems to fit many descriptives for me. I also like transformative change. When you look at these together, I believe that so much of what we are doing as educators in the elder care field should be focused on helping organizations bring about inside-out changes that lead to transformation or deep culture change. I love the work being done through such organizations at Pioneer Network, Leading Age, Eden Alternative and so many others that have stepped up to create out of the box initiatives and thinking. It's not an easy task, but I'm privileged to be a part of this movement and work alongside organizations across the country who are taking bold steps in person-centered care. It's exciting, challenging, sometimes daunting - but the efforts of just one person can have exponential effects across an organization. Hats off to all of those who are blazing new trails!

Our work is fascinating, isn’t it? I find the senior care industry to be filled with people with passion and compassion. So many are just like me, coming to this field because of a personal experience in helping an older adult in their life.  I love helping caregivers with challenges, and I believe deeply in the value of education. With caregiving, that’s a big bite – because there is so much to learn. And we should all look at this from the standpoint of the often over used phrase “It takes a Village”, shouldn’t we? I  find it quite amazing to observe the “feel” for a senior care community. Beyond the fancy décor, and new impressive buildings, what matters is the care that is provided. When you have both, it's an added bonus, but certainly the passion and compassion of the team that takes care of your precious loved one is the most important - it is what's on the inside.

Welcome to The AGEucated Caregiver Blog!

Thank you for visiting our blog. We hope the information and ideas that we share will help you in your caregiving journey. If you are just beginning to care for an older adult in your life, or if you find yourself overwhelmed with challenges, our goal is to provide guidance, inspiration and education.

My name is Pam Brandon, and I am the founder and owner of AGEucate LLC. I began my work professionally in the field of caregiver education after traversing the winding road of caring for my own parents in various capacities for many years.   While it was a journey of many joys and blessings, it was some of the most difficult years of my life.

Welcome to AGEucate’s blog specifically for senior care professionals.

I'm Pam Brandon, Founder of AGEucate LLC and we focus on exactly what our name implies… Aging Education! More specifically, we specialize in dynamic and innovative aging and caregiver training programs that senior care providers need to better train their staff and communities. We’ve been working with family and professional caregivers, providers, non-profits and community organizations for over 7 years – we understand the needs of caregivers, and the challenges that senior care providers face in educating their caregivers and communities!

Can you picture this?  Just the thought of it sends chills up my spine!  But that's exactly what a caregiver recently expressed to me.  Trying to juggle a demanding job, her mother's stubborn behavior about accepting help, complicated family situations, and keeping her marriage in tact through this all was taking it's toll.  As she described what if felt like, I could picture her words, and thinking about so many of the other caregivers I help who feel this exact same way.