Time is precious.  Staff is in short supply.  Family caregivers are stretched to the limit.  Just taking care of the basic needs  is hard enough, so five minutes a day seems - IMPOSSIBLE!

Call it awareness, attention, focus, presence, or vigilance. It's proving to be a powerful and effective practice in coping with stress.  Caregiving can easily top the charts on stress, especially for caregivers of elders with chronic illness and dementia.  Mindfulness for caregivers means learning to live in the moment, accept the reality of a situation, and filter out distractions.

Neurological research substantiates that human beings appear to be "wired" to be empathetic.  In other words, we all have an innate ability to be empathetic.   Would empathy training in dementia care  provide a strong foundation tool for front line staff to help improve the quality of life for those living with dementia?

The number of older adults with dementia is forecast to more than double in the next 40 years.  Training people to care for these individuals - both professionals and families is paramount in improving the quality of life for the caregiver as well as the care receiver.  Is it time to get back to basics in our approach to education and training?

Losing sleep, poor eating habits, irritability or short tempered - these symptoms may start small and snowball quickly into what is referred to as caregiver burnout.   Professionals and families need to know what to look for and how to help caregivers.  It's a serious matter and growing, as more families are caring for their loved ones at home with little or no help.

The rapid pace of our aging world is changing the face of every facet of our society from health and long term care, to faith communities and business establishments.  Across the spectrum, issues such as these are at the forefront of leadership discussions:

Our guest blogger is AGE-u-cate Master Trainer, Sue Wilson, LMSW, CADDCT, CDP  -  360 Elder Solutions (www.360eldersolutions.com)