AGE-u-cate Training Institute Blog

I mentioned my grandmother briefly in my last post and I would love to share more about her!  Her name was Mildred and this year she would have celebrated her 101st year around the sun.  She was was the pillar of our family and barrel of fun!  I can see her infectious smile now, dancing in the kitchen singing "If I'd known you were coming, I would've baked you a cake"!  Most of my memories of grandmama Mildred involve her journey living with dementia.  She taught our family so much in the 8+ years she lived with dementia.  Her sense of humor never ceased and was a critical piece in allowing grace to shine bright through it all.  And boy did we need grace - we didn't always get it right.  That's life.  

Topics: dementia care, dementia, caregiving, Caregiver Training, family caregivers, Compassion, Family Education, dementia training, dementia education, Dementia Awareness, communication skills, education and training

The delta COVID-19 variant seems to be ushering in an understandable second round of pandemic-induced anxiety.  Aging Services providers, and those that serve them, are still traumatized from the first go-around.  Enough time has not passed to allow for a psychological re-set to cope with a do-over.  So, what are we to do?

Topics: Senior Care Professionals, leadership, Compassion, Mental Health, health, human connection, perseverance

I'm delighted to share that our Australian Master Trainer, Sue Silcox has authored and published a book - The ABC of Compassionate Communication.  Sue is passionate about helping people become empowered through learning, practice, support, and self-care.

Topics: Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, compassionate touch, leadership, Compassion, Passionate, AGE-u-cate Training Insitute, Brain Sparks, communication

Compassion Fatigue is physical, emotional and spiritual exhaustion from witnessing suffering in others. Taking care of others is one source, but also the constant bombardment of news. It develops slowly over time. As a result our resilience  takes a hit.  Our compassion cup is empty. We feel burned out. How can we fill our cup back up? Here's ten tips offered in A Guide to Understanding and Coping with Compassion Fatigue:

Topics: Senior Care Professionals, Compassion, Work, compassion fatigue, touch

Any senior care professional is vulnerable to Compassion Fatigue.  For example, nurses, doctors, counselors, veterinarians, therapists, social workers, chaplains, emergency response workers, and people caring for aging parents. So, what is Compassion Fatigue?

Topics: Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Hospital Professionals, Compassion, support, Work, compassion fatigue

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 is a harder conversation topic with elderly parents - money or death?  If you guessed death, you get a gold star.  Why do we find it so very difficult to discuss the inevitable?  Surely we've all come to grips with the fact there is one thing certain about life and that is death.  We can embrace the ending by learning to embrace the life that we still have with our loved ones until the times comes when they are no longer with us.

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, memories, caregivers, compassionate touch, Faith Community, Compassion, families, End-of-life, death

We all like to think that have compassion for others don't we?   After all, we give care, so we must have empathy.  Is there a difference between caring and true compassion?

Topics: Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Training, Care Partners, caregivers, Dementia Live, leadership, empathy, Compassion, elderly, families, understanding, AGE-u-cate Training Instite, Dementia Live™️