8:30-9:30 a.m

89-J. Validation: Engaging Residents Living with Cognitive Change

Can providing good care lead to operational gains for your senior living organization? This session's presenters will answer with a categorical "yes." They'll describe the Validation method, a caregiving strategy that fosters engagement between caregivers and residents living with cognitive change. A Validation trainer and a LeadingAge member will explain how the method uses centering, attunement, emotion matching, and other simple practices to emphasize the care recipient's reality rather than imposing facts. You'll hear evidence that Validation increases cooperation, reduces the use of as-needed medication, and improves staff confidence and retention. You'll gain simple tools to help your teams embed Validation in their standard work.

• Tamorra Sims, Executive Director, Validation Training Institute, Inc. — Pleasant Hill, OR, United States
• Jerilyn Iacono, Director of Life Enrichment, Kendal-Crosslands Communities — Kennett Square, PA, USA