All real living is meeting. - Martin Buber, Philosopher If someone listens, or stretches out a hand, or whispers a kind word of encouragement, or attempts to understand a lonely person, extraordinary things begin to happen. - Loretta Girzartis, Author I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and found how to serve. - Albert Schweitzer, Missionary Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat . . .We must find each other. - Mother Theresa, Saint In American life, we think we are most free when we don't need anybody. Exactly what Alzheimer's represents is absolute dependency - That's what we all need to learn - how deeply we need one another. - Stanley Hauerwas, Professor of Theological Ethics The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated. - William James, Philosopher Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essayist You can't stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes. - A. A. Milne, Author (Winnie the Pooh) Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World. - Christopher Columbus, Explorer A good traveler is one who does not know where he is going to, and a perfect traveler does not know where he came from. - Lin Yutang, Writer They invented hugs to let people know you love them without saying anything. - Bil Keane, Cartoonist Nothing is more revealing than movement. - Martha Graham, Dancer |
Memory Bridge to Lead Hospice Training in Florida's Treasure Coast
04.25.11
Participants in this three-day, guided journey in connecting with those with dementia will explore what it means, and does not mean, for a person to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and not merely from the outside-in, the bio-medical perspective, but from the inside-out, from within the lifeworld of a person living with dementia. Developed by the Memory Bridge Foundation, this experience-based, empathy-centered workshop pairs each participant with a person in hospice diagnosed with irreversible dementia--a Buddy. Volunteers and Buddies will meet two times in person over the three days of training. Combined with the supported companionship with hospice clients will be a variety of other learning experiences--presentation-based, creative, reflective, peer-to-peer dialogue, case study, and sharing circles.
The training is designed for hospice volunteers and covers many crucial areas of care of the cognitively disoriented, including: *Emotional, psychological, and spiritual aspects of end-of-life communication with the disoriented dying; *Exploration of the neuroscientific substrate of empathy; *The social construction and deconstruction of identity; *Identity challenges in Erickson's 9th, and final, life stage; *A phenomenological approach to the dis-ease of Alzheimer's; *Community-building around caring with persons with dementia; For more information about participating, contact Eileen Emery at EEmery@tchospice.org.