Elder Care Conversations
For many years, it has been my great pleasure to interact with my friend and colleague David Troxel. He is the co-author, along with the marvelous Virginia Bell, of The Best Friends Approach to Alzheimer’s Care, the best-selling book that they followed with several other “Best Friends” publications. Both have spoken around the world, and David continues to consult with major corporations focused on aging.

Because we are both highly passionate about the importance of quality programming wherever older adults gather, David and I put enthusiastic effort into creating a 12-module, self-contained staff development series called “Amping Up Your Activity Programming.”

• We crammed it to the brim with ideas you could instantly use as well as long-term plans for transforming your programming.
• We created convenience by making it entirely downloadable (via out online store or a flash drive) – from the MP3 audio files that you can listen to on your computer, in your car, or on your iPod, to the print materials that include handouts, activity and MindPlay Connections™ samples, Power Point slides for training others, and resource lists.
• We made it appropriate for activity directors in long-term care settings, home health aides and anyone working with an audience requiring formal or informal programming.
• And like the programming we promote, we made it engaging and fun.

You can learn more at Elder Care Conversations, or you can go directly to our store. David and I will be adding new topics and guest speakers to the audio series soon.

Here’s a taste of more

Curriculum development for clients: Using my master's degree in instructional technology, I’ve developed multi-media curricula for corporate clients throughout the U.S. and Australia for more than 20 years. Let me know how I might help you.

Curriculum development for purchase: “Staff development” is a growing category within our store. One quick insight into my distinctive style can be found by ordering “ 22 Creative Training Tips to Use Instantly.”

In person or webinar/teleseminar staff training: As with my writing, I am known for being both highly practical (providing information that can be put to instant use) and light-hearted. (People learn more when they have fun learning.) But I am absolutely serious about teaching new skills, because learning hasn’t happened unless behavior changes. I don’t want staff to just do their best. I want them to know WHAT TO DO.

I also give presentations

Here are the programs I most enjoy giving to families, staff and as a marketing tool to potential clients:

MindPlay – I most often offer this course in two versions, (length from 1 to 3.5 hours) with somewhat similar content. The first, "Mind Play for the Stressed Mind," emphasizes fun and relaxation for its own sake; the second, "Spontaneous Mind Play that Anyone Can Lead," covers how staff can inject easy-going fun to enliven any day.

• They both cover my Ha-ha, Ah-ha, and Aaaahhh philosophy. (Laugh and have fun because relaxed learners learn more, foster curiosity to learn something new, and get lost in the pleasure of doing something you enjoy.)
• They both feature a variety of interactive exercises that can be done with minimum props and preparation, including logic and trivia quizzes, word puzzles, imaginative and visual perception exercises, and exposure to a variety of products.
• Depending on time allotted, both also offer an interest survey, a humor survey, hands-on experiences and a lengthy resource list.
• A dementia-specific version is also available.

Getting to Know You – I am the author of the book Getting to Know the Life Stories of Older Adults: Activities for Building Relationships from Health Professions Press. Order now. This interactive presentation is based on exercises in the book that emphasize connecting with one another by having fun together, and sharing our stories, values and opinions. Most of the exercises can be used intergenerationally or with children and young adults and also can be adapted for people with dementia or for one-on-one situations such as assisting with care or for family visits. Attendees enjoy the exercises, ideas and insights, and the long list of resources.

Creative Training Techniques for Elder Care This interactive course teaches multiple ways of painlessly ingraining your key training points through games, exercises, puzzles, and optical illusions. In twenty years of curriculum development, I have been constantly called upon to find ways of making elder care courses engaging and memorable. Too often people are told, "Just do your best." That doesn't build staff confidence or have the desired effect on elder care unless they know WHAT to do. You know the "what" that you want to train staff to do; I’ll teach you how to make your training memorable. For a sampling, order the downloadable "22 Creative Training Tips to Use Instantly" from our store.

Alzheimer’s disease and dementia topics – I have been writing and training about dementia for 20 years, a passion that evolved from 10 years as a hands-on caregiver for my mother who died of Alzheimer’s disease. I continue to be most interested in helping staff and families understand how to communicate more effectively by understanding the behavior of people with dementia that is based on specific damage to their brains. You can learn more about my work in this area, including the books I’ve written, on my Alzheimer’s-specific website.