From the conversations I have every single day with our partners, I'm guessing most of you would give yourselves an adequate score at best. And perhaps this is on a good day. "Empowering Your Caregivers" - some of you might just be asking what exactly I mean by empowering caregivers.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Training, dementia, caregivers, Dementia Live, leadership, Hospital Professionals, turnover
Far too often I talk to family caregivers who are concerned about their loved one's cognitive decline. It is not uncommon to hear such explanations go something like this:
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, Family, caregivers, Dementia Live, Hospital Professionals, family caregivers, Depression, families, older adults, health, Pseudodementia
We have a family caregiving tsunami whose tidal waves are affecting every corner of our society. I venture to say that most communities are not prepared for the domino effects of a fast-aging population let along to provide support to their families that are scrambling to stay above water - emotionally, physically and financially.
Topics: Senior Care Professionals, aging services, Family Caregiver, Family, caregivers, leadership, Alzheimer's disease, caregiving, Faith Community, family caregivers, support, National Family Caregivers Month
I have to be direct in asking - isn't this every elder care community's goal? After all, we should be in the compassion business, and sustainability is the hot topic today. Creating a sustainable culture of compassion - makes sense right?
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, compassionate touch, leadership, Hospital Professionals, Compassion, eldercare, elder care, sustainability, staff
What would life be like if you stepped into the world of a resident in long-term care? Perhaps it would awaken us to the fact that they see things much differently than we do. Maybe it would make us understand their experiences, challenges, and thought processes. Do you think that we might be more empathetic? Gosh, I hope so.
Topics: Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, Caregiver, leadership, Hospital Professionals, resident needs
Dementia Friendly Fort Worth recently sponsored Remember This, a participatory performance experience by the Texas Tech University School of Theatre and Dance. Created and produced by Dr. Tyler Davis, Genevieve Durham DeCesaro, Rachel Hirshorn-Johnston, and Dr. Annette Sobel, Remember This is about changing the conversation about dementia.
Topics: The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, Training, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, dementia friendly, Faith Community, Dementia Friendly Fort Worth
Until a miracle cure is found to stop, reverse or drastically slow down the aging process, the news flash of the day is that we will all leave this earth someday. In our anti-aging driven society of wrinkle reducers and body re-shaping, the fact is that all of us are, shall I say it - AGING! The question is not that we are aging, but can we age well through the challenges of aging?
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, Faith Community, aging, chronic illness, Age Well, older adults
Quite simply, the definition of personhood is the quality or condition of being an individual person. At the core of personhood is the self- who we are are, our values and beliefs. It's who makes us who we are. Being able to recognize the "self" of personhood is key to understanding and practicing person-centered care for persons living with dementia.
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, dementia care, Person-centered, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, Faith Community, Person centered care, Personhood, Work
High staff turnover in long-term care is certainly not a recent phenomenon. Going back to the 1970s studies pointed to average turnover rates for registered nurses (RNs), licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) ranging between 55% - 75%. With growing demands for these professions as our aging population explodes, many providers are reporting upwards of 100% turnover. Many factors need to be addressed - one being how we are preparing this workforce to work with the growing numbers of older adults with dementia? Leaders have many options for dementia training. What do we hear most often? Keep it simple and engage the learner!
Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Training, dementia, leadership, Hospital Professionals, Employees, turnover, dementia training, Workforce, staff
It the first sense to develop in the womb and one of the last ones to go during the dying process.
Topics: dementia care, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Elders, compassionate touch, leadership, Hospital Professionals, aging, Anxiety, Healing Touch, End-of-life, older adults, Healing, Skilled Touch
