AGE-u-cate Training Institute Blog

Having a sense of purpose and a community network in which to provide these avenues seems to be important for brain health, an important component of aging well. But aging well starts with more basic work.  Some of these include:

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Aging in the Workplace, dementia, leadership, aging, Mental Health, Depression, Aging Well, Anxiety, health

I'm honored to be part of the exciting Dementia Friendly Fort Worth initiative.  Not only are we the first major city in Texas to undertake this effort, but one of the largest cities in the United States.  We are part of Dementia Friendly America (DFA), which is a multi-sector collaborative on a mission to foster "dementia friendly" communities across the nation.

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, Care Partners, Dementia Live®Training, leadership, dementia friendly, Faith Community, Dementia Friendly America, Community, Dementia Friendly Fort Worth

When was the last time you walked into a restaurant hoping for a relaxing dinner only to feel like you were in the middle of a rock concert, and a bad one at that?  You're not alone.  Noise pollution is a real health hazard, especially for older adults.  Yes, I'm in the AARP club myself, but don't consider myself "old" (and not sure when that starts)  but I've noticed how noise has affected me as I've aged.

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Elders, dementia, Dementia Live, leadership, Hospital Professionals, Seniors, older adults, noise pollution, health, elder care communities, home care

Caring for a close family member friend can be emotionally overwhelming.  While many caregivers find fulfillment in helping another person, along with this comes feelings of loss, anger,  grief, and guilt.  Caregivers struggle with depression and anxiety at a much higher rate than the general population.  Counseling can be very beneficial for helping people with what is called caregiver burnout.

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, Family, Caregiver, caregivers, leadership, Faith Community, Caregiver Burnout, Burnout, Depression, families, Anxiety, Counseling

Dear, Honey, Hun, Sweetie, Buddy, Chief, That’s a good boy, Let's go potty now.  No, I am not talking to my 18-month-old, I am repeating terms of endearment and phrases I hear in memory care and assisted living every day. There is so much research behind the use of this type of language researchers refer to it as elderspeak. I know I am guilty of using terms like these and I know you are too but explore the impact it may be having on our residents.

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, dementia care, The Family Caregiver, Senior Care Professionals, Senior Care, dementia, Caregiver, compassionate touch, Dementia Live, leadership, Hospital Professionals, eldercare

The number of older people is rising dramatically, particularly those in the 85 years and above age group.  Because the likelihood of developing dementia increases with age, reaching a one in 3 chance by the time a person reaches 85, we must turn our attention to eldercare, age-friendly initiatives to be that of dementia-friendly initiatives.  Let's look at what research tells us about how our neighborhoods can be transformed to age-friendly, dementia-friendly places for people to live as they grow older.

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, Dementia Live, leadership, older adults, environment, Dementia-Friendly neighborhoods, Urban designers

There is an urgent need to equip caregivers to better respond to and care for persons living with dementia.  Traditional training models have focused on the number of classroom hours an individual must spend in training, assuming that a person who completes the required training hours is ready to work successfully with people living with dementia.  The shift to competency-based training improves dementia care by focusing on mastery of tasks and tools that are learned.

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, dementia care, Senior Care Professionals, care staff, dementia, caregivers, compassionate touch, Dementia Live, leadership, Hospital Professionals, dementia training, staff

Eldercare is becoming more about caring for those with dementia.  Because our fastest growing segment of the population are those 85 and older, it correlates with the rise in people living with dementia.  In fact, one in three people age 85 and older are living with some level of dementia.   There are over 1 million Americans living with Parkinson's Disease and over 10 million worldwide.  This number is also rising with the increase in longevity.

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, dementia, Care Partners, Dementia Live, leadership, Parkinson's Disease, family caregivers

I had a few "Aha" moments this past weekend that made me realize just how prevalent the fear of dementia is in our society,  and how we must redirect our thinking in order to transform how we look at Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Aging in the Workplace, Training, dementia, Care Partners, caregivers, Dementia Live®Training, leadership, Alzheimer's disease, Caregiver Training, alzheimer's, Fear of Dementia, Dementia Awareness, education and training

What's it really like to live with dementia?  To cope with the anxiety, embarrassment, feelings of loss and hopeless that can so often accompany the progression of dementia.  There are far too many caregivers today who are struggling with truly understanding the depths of living with cognitive decline and sensory changes.  Instead caregivers try to cope with what's on the surface.  Transformation takes place when caregivers change how they think, feel and act!

Topics: AGE-u-cate Training Institute, Senior Care Professionals, Family Caregiver, Training, dementia, caregivers, leadership, Hospital Professionals, Caregiver Training, Dementia Live Training, understanding, education and training