Validation is a successful way of communicating with older adults with Alzheimer's-type dementia and responding to their challenging behaviors. The Validation method helps reduce stress, enhance dignity, and increase happiness for both the elder and the caregiver. Since its inception in 1989, Validation has helped thousands of professional and family caregivers improve their relationships with residents and loved ones with dementia by acknowledging older adults' expressed feelings rather than focusing on disorientation and confusion. Professionals will learn how to: Build relationships with residents based on empathy and compassion Understand and deal with challenging behaviors Interpret nonverbal cues to promote better communication Implement Validation in your own care setting through the experiences shared by Authorized Validation Organizations around the world The Validation method is easy to learn, and positive results can be seen in both residents and caregivers. Residents express less anger and anxiety, decreasing the need for chemical and physical restraints. Residents communicate more freely and more often. Residents often move better and experience an improved sense of self-worth. Staff members express a greater sense of fulfillment at work and feel better prepared for handling difficult situations. Families visit more often. The Validation Breakthrough is an essential resource for professionals in all settings serving adults who may be confused and disoriented, including assisted living facilities, skilled nursing facilities, hospice, home health care, adult day services, and family care settings. NEW to this edition: Updated language and explanations for the Phases of Resolution Revised case studies reflecting contemporary settings and issues Restructured content for clarity and ease of use
Naomi Feil, M.S.W., A.C.S.W., is the Executive Director of the Validation Training Institute, in Cleveland, Ohio. She is the creator of Validation, currently recognized throughout the world as a state-of-the-art therapy for older people diagnosed as having Alzheimer's dementia or related disorders. Ms. Feil earned her master's degree of social work from Columbia University and studied at the New School for Social Research, Case Western Reserve University, and the University of Michigan. In 1963, she became dissatisfied with traditional therapies for older people with dementia and began to develop her own methods for helping older people cope with the disorientation that is sometimes part of the aging process. In addition to her earlier book on Validation, Ms. Feil has published numerous journal articles and has produced nine award-winning films on Validation. The first edition of The Validation Breakthrough: Simple Techniques for Communicating with People with Alzheimer's Type Dementia has sold 40,000 copies. She is internationally recognized for her work with older people and is one of the most sought-after trainers in the field. More than 30,000 facilities in the United States of America, Canada, Europe, and Australia have adopted Validation, and nearly 90,000 professional and family caregivers have attended her workshops in North America, Australia, and Europe. There are 16 Validation centers that teach Validation certification courses in 11 countries. In Switzerland, every agency that serves older people uses Validation. Vicki de Klerk-Rubin, R.N., M.B.A., is the European manager of the Validation Training Institute and a certified Validation Master. She is the co-author of the 1992 revision of Validation: The Feil Method and the 2nd edition of The Validation Breakthrough: Simple Techniques for Communicating with People with "Alzheimer's-Type Dementia." Ms. de Klerk-Rubin holds a bachelor of fine arts from Boston University and a master's of business administration from Fordham University, and is a Dutch-trained registered nurse. Since 1989, she has given Validation workshops, lectures, and training programs in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States of America. She also has worked in numerous nursing facilities in Amsterdam, leading Validation groups and training staff. Ms. de Klerk-Rubin, a native New Yorker, is married to a Dutch diplomat and has 2 daughters who were born in Vienna, Austria. Together they have spent the last 20 years living in Amsterdam, Vienna, Bonn, and The Hague.
