We are talking a lot about empathy lately. I see many posts, blogs and articles on the subject because so many feel that it is severely lacking in this current time. Social psychologists are having a field day dissecting what has gone so wrong, and why.
From road rage to personal attacks via social media, the lack of human kindness and understanding is almost everywhere we are these days. It gets people down and is discouraging, but the best thing to do is be a role model. We have to put out there what we want back in return.
AGE-u-cate puts an emphasis on how to inspire caregivers, through education, to adopt an empathetic approach to caregiving. We believe that empathy is the number one skill-building opportunity for aging services.
Problem: The trauma inflicted by the pandemic has eroded empathy in caregiving.
Faces of Empathy
The following are pictures taken by AGE-u-cate trainers during Dementia Live and Compassionate Touch training.
Solution: Experiential caregiver training and education that incorporates empathy at its core.
These faces say it all. This is what it looks like when people get out of their own heads and connect with another person's reality. The empathy needle can be moved when we help employees feel what it could be like living in the shoes of the elders they serve. The ahhhhhhh of a soothing backrub from Compassionate Touch, and the "aha- I get it now!" with Dementia Live is impactful. Empathy is the lubricant of change, and the foundation on which we help caregivers grow and master their vocation.
Reach out if you are ready to move the empathy needle in your organization.
