Communication Tips and Tools for Dementia Care

$250
1 day
Face-to-Face
OR
$250
1 day
Online
 

Communication Tips and Tools for Dementia Care, which are based on the original work of Naomi Feil, make important connections between the changes to the brain and the communication needs of those living with dementia. These methods focus on recognizing, and using, spared abilities in dementia, with an emphasis on validating feelings and focusing on the message that "all behaviour has meaning".

  • Understand the special communication needs of the person with dementia by connecting knowledge about brain changes to communication abilities.
  • Examine a new set of communication skills that can be aplied when working with the cognitively impaired older adult according to needs and abilities.
  • Identify the elements of basic language and communication and discuss how they can be applied to communication techniques for dementia care.
  • Provide an overview of the relationship between the brain, behaviour, and communication in dementia.
  • Describe, and differentiate between, different types of communication strategies that are commonly used with people with dementia, including Reminiscence, Life Review, and Validation.
  • Develop an empathic appreciation for the emotional losses experienced by those in their later years, with a special awareness of what it may be life for a person with dementia.
  • Recognize that all behaviour has meaning and to list and describe the special needs that must be considered when working with someone with dementia.
  • List and describe the key components of validating feelings, using the Communication Tips and Tools for Dementia Care (including the mind's eye, centering, touch, mirroring, symbols, and universal needs).
  • Demonstrate how to run a Validation Group.
  • Practice the Validation Communication Techniques using case examples