Posted on

CMS ATLANTA REGIONAL OFFICE AWARDS AGE-U-CATE TRAINING INSTITUTE $422,900 FOR COMPASSIONATE TOUCH® TRAINING

Atlanta, GA & Colleyville, TX – AGE-u-cate Training Institute (www.AGEucate.com) has been awarded $422, 900 in Civil Monetary Penalty funding by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to help 66 North Carolina Nursing homes improve care to residents with dementia. Atlanta, GA & Colleyville, TX – AGE-u-cate Training Institute (www.AGEucate.com) has been awarded $422, 900 in Civil Monetary Penalty funding by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to help 66 North Carolina Nursing homes improve care to residents with dementia.

The one-year project is titled “Compassionate Touch: A Practical, Non-Pharmacological Approach to Ease Behavioral Symptoms, thereby Supporting Nursing Homes’ Efforts to Minimize the Use of Antipsychotic Medications for Dementia-related Behaviors.”
Compassionate Touch® is an approach combining skilled touch and specialized communication shown to prevent behavioral expression in people with dementia and reduce job stress in care-partners.

The goal of this project is to equip staff working in 66 North Carolina nursing homes with practical skilled touch techniques to incorporate in daily care routines. Compassionate Touch training will also be conducted for North Carolina state surveyors, Long-Term Care Ombudsman, and North Carolina Quality Improvement Organization.

There is an urgent need to better support persons living with dementia and we look forward to working with North Carolina nursing homes,” says Pam Brandon, AGE-u-cate’s President and Founder. “This program offers simple, yet effective, tools for care partners to connect with, calm and comfort those they are caring for living with dementia.”

The Compassionate Touch program was developed by Ann Catlin, OTR, LMT, a leading expert in the field of skilled touch in eldercare and hospice.   Drawing on 30 years’ experience, Ann has guided professionals and organizations to rediscover ‘touch-as-medicine’ in person-centered dementia care.

About AGE-u-cate Training Institute
AGE-u-cate Training Institute develops and delivers innovative, research-based aging and dementia training programs for professional and family caregivers.  Training is delivered across the United States and internationally in long term care hospitals, in-home, hospice, and community-based organizations as well as universities.

AGE-u-cate contact:  Renee Riffey, Director of Client Engagement 817.857.1157 x 204, renee@AGEucate.com
NC Department of Health and Human Services contact:  Becky Wertz, Section Chief Division of Health Service Regulation, Nursing Home Licensure and Certification Section   919.855.4580, becky.wertz@dhhs.nc.gov
###

Posted on

BENCHMARK ENHANCES MIND & MEMORY PROGRAM WITH DEMENTIA LIVE®

Benchmark Senior Living teaming with Dementia Live

Provides Additional Resident, Family Member and Community Support to Those Affected by Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

Aug. 13, 2018, Waltham, Mass. & Colleyville, Texas – Benchmark (www.BenchmarkSeniorLiving.com), a leading provider of senior living services in the Northeast and AGE-u-cate® Training Institute (www.ageucate.com), developers of innovative aging education, today announced the two organizations have partnered to bring additional dementia education to Benchmark communities throughout the Northeast.

According to the World Health Organization, there are over 50 million people currently living with dementia, and this number is expected to triple by 2050. To help address the growing need for dementia knowledge and continue to provide superior care, Benchmark has deployed AGE-u-cate’s Dementia Live® curriculum company-wide, delivering advanced education to its memory care team members throughout the Northeast. In addition, to help people in the areas they serve along their journey, many Benchmark communities are now offering complimentary public workshops for caregivers and family members that are designed to provide practical insight into what it’s really like to live with dementia.

Dementia Live puts individuals in the position of being able to experience what those with a brain affected by dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders encounter. By incorporating demonstrations and tools, such as a dementia simulation experience and practical action plans, called Empowerment Tools, individuals are able to go inside the dementia brain for the first time, making it easier to care for and understand those with the disease.

AGE-u-cate Training Institute develops and delivers innovative aging and dementia education for professional and family caregivers, serving senior care communities, nursing homes, home care and hospice providers, government agencies, hospitals, the business community and families. AGE-u-cate’s programs are being implemented by providers across the United States, Australia, Canada, and this year will be expanding to other countries.

“There is an urgent need for quality education and training to meet the fast-aging worldwide population,” says Pam Brandon, president and founder of AGE-u-cate. “We are excited about our partnership with Benchmark and their commitment to delivering high-quality care in each of its communities.”

In addition to Dementia Live education, Benchmark memory care communities offer a Mind & Memory approach crafted and guided by Certified Dementia Practitioners. This unique approach is designed to help those with memory loss stay active, healthy and engaged, staying connected to what matters most. Special programming, services, resident support and Family Connect help residents feel secure, comfortable and successful every day. In 2019, the company will open Adelaide Place of Newton Centre in Newton, Mass., a dedicated memory care community complete with cutting-edge, first-of-its-kind programs.

“Elder care is fast becoming about dementia care, and there is a great need to support those who are caring for and serving those with the disease,” says Karen Bain, Benchmark’s vice president of resident care. “For a family experiencing dementia, it can be very easy to become disconnected, especially as the disease progresses. By understanding what the resident is experiencing and getting to know each individual on a deep level, we are able to hit on what they are passionate about and keep them connected to those around them. We are already seeing great results with Dementia Live and look forward to using it to help even more people in the communities we serve.”

# # #

 About Benchmark
Based in Waltham, Mass., Benchmark is a leading provider of senior living services in the Northeast.  Founded in 1997 by Tom Grape, Benchmark operates 57 senior living communities offering independent living, assisted living, Alzheimer’s care and continuing care in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. In 2018, Benchmark was certified as a Great Place to Work by the Great Place to Work Institute and became the first senior living organization and only the fifth Massachusetts-based company to receive Certified Age Friendly Employer (CAFE) designation from RetirementJobs.com. It also has been recognized as a top workplace by The Boston Globe for 10 consecutive years as well as by the Boston Business Journal, Connecticut Post, Hartford Courant and Hartford Business Journal.  For more information, visit BenchmarkSeniorLiving.com.

About AGE-u-cate Training Institute
AGE-u-cate Training Institute develops and delivers innovative aging and dementia training programs for professional and family caregivers.  AGE-u-cate’s programs are enhancing the lives of elders, their care partners and families, meeting the urgent training needs across the US, and internationally by long term care communities, behavioral hospitals, in-home and hospice care, community based organizations and universities.

Benchmark Press Contact: Carol Arnold, Arnold Communications, carol@arnoldcomm.com, (603) 502-0469.

AGE-u-cate Press contact: Renee Riffey, Director of Client Engagement, AGE-u-cate, (817) 857-1157 x204.

Posted on

Overture Home Care Now a Dementia Live® Authorized Organization

Overture leadership team has completed Dementia Live® coach training, and is now licensed to provide coaching services

(Fort Worth, Texas) — Denise Helms, R.N., B.S.N, CEO of Overture Home Care, a Fort Worth, Texas-based home care service company, has announced that Overture has satisfied the requirements to become a Dementia Live® authorized organization. Dementia Live is an AGE-u-cate® Training Institute program.

According to AGE-u-cate Training Institute, the Dementia Live program is a high impact, dementia simulation experience that immerses participants into life with dementia, resulting in a deeper understanding of what it’s like to live with cognitive impairment and sensory change.

“Many people don’t realize that dementia isn’t a specific disease, but rather a classification of symptoms associated with memory decline or a severe deterioration of cognitive abilities that ravages a person’s ability to do everyday tasks,” said Ms. Helms. “Dementia is terrifying for its victims and their loved ones, and it can cause so much pain, suffering, and confusion for everyone it touches. Understanding breeds compassion, and the Dementia Live training will help our caregivers provide even more empathic and enriching care for our clients with dementia. As well, having Dementia Live-trained caregivers affords our clients’ families deeper peace of mind.”

Overture’s Dementia Live training was spearheaded by Ms. Helms and Paige Wolk, Overture’s senior vice president and licensed social worker. The two executives completed the original training to become authorized coaches before training Overture’s caregivers. In addition to Dementia Live training, Overture provides a variety of continuing education courses to medical professionals.

According to Overture, several of the home care’s clientele suffer from dementia. The company’s leadership team wanted to continue to improve their care services, particularly in light of Fort Worth – Overture’s headquarters city – becoming a Dementia Friendly® community.

“As the population ages and we’re faced with the oncoming ‘silver tsunami,’ it’s important that organizations like Overture prepare their teams and our communities to support the growing number of people with dementia,” said Pam Brandon, president and founder of AGE-u-cate. “It gives me solace to know that there are more people prepared to care for those with dementia and their loved ones.”

For more information about Dementia Live training or dementia care services, please contact Overture Home Care 817-887-9401.

About Overture Home Care

Overture Home Care offers non-medical, RN-delegated home care and companion services to seniors and other individuals requiring care. The company’s highly-trained caregivers are overseen by a staff RN, delivering a variety of services to enable their clients to live independently, safely and with dignity. Based in Fort Worth, Texas, a Dementia Friendly® community, the company currently serves Tarrant, Johnson, Parker, and Hood counties, which includes Fort Worth, Arlington, Benbrook, Burleson, Colleyville, Flower Mound, Keller, Southlake, Trophy Club, West Lake, Granbury, and Weatherford. Overture provides compassionate care to their clients and peace of mind to client families. For more information, please visit www.overturehomecare.com, or follow on Facebook.

###

Posted on

20 ECC Leaders Trained on Dementia Live®

The Eastern Carolina Council Area Agency on Aging trained 20 leaders to be authorized to lead the Dementia Live® coaches throughout its nine-county region, reaching families and professional caregivers for persons living with dementia. “We are excited to bring this impactful dementia experience to our community,” stated the Human Services Planner, January Brown who led this effort as part of the Family Caregiver Support Program.

The Easter Carolina Council Area Agency on Aging serves a population of 645,000 and whose mission is to advocate, plan, develop and support a comprehensive system of quality services designed to attain and preserve quality of life, health, and independence of older adults, individuals with disabilities, and caregivers.

Ms. Brown said their leaders would be implementing the Dementia Live training to serve in a variety of locations to include long-term care facilities, first responder’s trainings, community, and professional settings. We need to meet the fast-growing numbers of caregivers who are serving those with dementia, either in the home or community based settings.”

Dementia Live® is an innovative program designed by a team of dementia, sensitivity awareness, and professional development experts from the internationally recognized AGE-ucate® Training Institute based in Dallas/Fort Worth. The Dementia Live program is the newest tool in the powerful arena of training being used for the booming number of family caregivers, direct care staff, healthcare professionals, college and university students. “We are at a crossroads of choosing to improve care and quality of life for those living with dementia. It affects virtually every segment of our society”, states Pam Brandon, President and Founder of AGE-u-cate. “We must equip those who are serving our older adults to better understand their challenges.”

“Our community leaders will be offering the Dementia Live program to individuals in Craven, Carteret, Onslow, Pamlico, Duplin, Greene, Lenoir, Jones, Wayne Counties. Please contact January Brown at jbrown@eccog.org or at 252-638-3185, ext. 3011 for information on how to obtain this valuable training.”