Presented by: Caren Silverlieb
According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2013 Facts and Figures report, the percent of people with Alzheimer’s disease based on age range estimates that one in nine (11%) over age 65, and about one in three (32%) of those 85 and older have the disease. People with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias already live in the buildings in which we work, they will continue to age with us in community, and their dementia will continue to progress. The goal of the Habilitation training is to enable residents with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia to remain in (low income subsidized and market rate) independent senior housing (even if only a few months) happier and better understood through staff training, and a specialized memory support team.
The following topics will be covered during the training:
• What is Alzheimer’s disease?
• What is happening in the brain?
• What are normal age-related changes vs. Alzheimer’s disease?
• What are the components of the Habilitation Model?
• What are best practices in communication with the resident?
• How does the physical environment effect mood?
• What is meaningful engagement?
• How does the resident use behavior to communicate?
Caren Silverlieb, MMHS, received her Master’s Degree in the Management of Human Services with a concentration in Aging from the Heller Graduate School at Brandeis University. Over the last 28 years, Caren has held a number of executive management positions in government funded, non-profit and private community-based long term care programs, affordable housing, and assisted living. She serves on the advisory and resident relations committees of the Newton Community Development Foundation, the education and training committee of the Massachusetts Assisted Living Facilities Association, the education committee of LeadingAge national, and the board of trustees of LeadingAge Massachusetts. In the last two years, Caren has presented sessions on working with residents with mental illness or memory impairment at American Society of Aging (ASA) conferences in Washington D.C., and San Diego CA; national LeadingAge conferences in Denver, CO, Dallas, TX, and Nashville, TN; LeadingAge MA; the Massachusetts Assisted Living Facilities Association; New England Resident Services Coordinators conference; LeadingAge New York; LeadingAge New Jersey; New England Affordable Housing Management Association; and other local venues.
