World Renowned Dementia/Alzheimer’s Expert Teams with Meridian Senior Living to Present Wildly Successful Workshop
DUBLIN, Ohio (PRWEB) March 04, 2018 -- Meridian Senior Living, LLC is proud to share that their recent educational workshop with world-renowned Naomi Feil, Founder of the Validation Training Institute, held on Wednesday, February 21, 2018 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Columbus Dublin, was overwhelmingly successful. Over 150 people in the senior care industry congregated at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Columbus Dublin on 5100 Upper Metro Place in Dublin, Ohio from 12pm to 4pm, to hear and learn from this amazing expert. Meridian’s Marysville, OH based senior community: Walnut Crossing proudly sponsored this event. Ms. Feil shared with attendees how her validation therapy helps to successfully communicate with and reach cognitively impaired individuals.
Thoroughly enjoying the workshop, a family member Craig Kleinhenz commented, “Ms. Feil is a wonderful person and presenter. The workshop offers excellent and practical skills for any caregiver”. “It was such a pleasure to meet and experience the validation training,” says Donna Moening, Executive Director of Walnut Crossing. “This will be such an asset and a vital piece of training for our staff.”
Why is learning about Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia so important? The number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s is growing – and growing fast. Of the 6.5 million Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, an estimated 5.2 million people are age 65 and older and approximately 200,000 under the age of 65 are afflicted with younger-onset of the disease. The figures are staggering … one in nine people age 65 and older has Alzheimer’s disease. By mid-century, someone in the United States will develop the disease every 33 seconds. With that in mind, Alzheimer’s will affect all of us in one way or another, and understanding and learning about the disease becomes increasingly important for everyone to effectively deal with afflicted family members and loved ones.
Naomi Feil, born in Munich in 1932, grew up in the Montefiore Home for the Aged in Cleveland, Ohio where her father was administrator and her mother was head of Social Services. After graduating
with a Master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University, Naomi began her work with the elderly. From 1963 and 1980, Mrs. Feil developed Validation Therapy as a response to her dissatisfaction with traditional methods of working with severely disoriented elderly people.
Validation is a method of communicating with and helping disoriented old people. It is a practical way of communicating that helps reduce stress, enhance dignity and promote happiness. Validation is built on an empathetic approach and holistic view of individuals where you ‘step into their shoes’ and ‘see through their eyes’ to understand the meaning of their often bizarre behaviors. This method allows seniors the opportunity to express, both verbal and non-verbal, their feelings and needs, often having been suppressed for years.
Feil founded the Validation Training Institute (VTI) in 1983 and, as Executive Director of VTI, has traveled the world, including Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, France, Belgium, Italy, Great Britain, Austria, and most recently in China on behalf of Meridian Senior Living, to share her experiences and Validation method with people from all walks of life. VTI, a U.S.-based, not-for-profit organization with a professional Board of Directors, has progressively developed certification levels, training programs, and formed a network of national and regional Validation organizations to disseminate information, train interested individuals, and maintain ‘the spirit of Validation.’
“We at Meridian are proud to Affiliate with the Validation Training Institute and be able to bring her life’s work to share with others,” says Kevin Carlin, Principal and Chief Sales Officer. “When Validation techniques are used we have seen incredible outcomes for caregivers and the residents both in the United States and with our partners at Senior Living La’more in China. Please visit https://vfvalidation.org.”
About Meridian Senior Living:
Meridian Senior Living, LLC, a privately held company, owns and operates senior housing communities across the United States. With more than 10,000 beds, Meridian is currently the fifth largest assisted living provider and the third largest memory care provider in the United States. Meridian prides itself on providing the highest quality care and affordable living options to residents in their own communities. Although large in scale, Meridian focuses its growth effort on building state-of-the-art properties in cities outside major markets. For more information on Meridian Senior Living, visit us online at http://www.meridiansenior.com.
Janet Davis, Meridian Senior Living, https://www.meridiansenior.com, +1 703.674.8310, [email protected]
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