Care 1.0 Best Practice Tips Pilot

Your TBH CARE 1.0 course begins right now! Here are some best practices tips to get you off to a successful start.

GET READY!

Start by determining the W’s of your course: Who, What, When, and Where.

WHO? Consider who will be participating in your class. Are you offering it to residents of an active aging community or for area residents? What degree of cognitive challenge do your participants face? Your class will be most successful if your participants are at approximately the same level of cognitive ability. However, you can, for example, include family members or caregivers in the class. Once you have determined who you will include in the course, you can tailor the course to best fit their needs.

WHAT? Decide how you would like to run the course. TBH CARE 1.0 is designed for continuous, ongoing delivery across your calendar, with exercises that provide different student experiences each time they are taught. However, you can also offer the course as a series, using a selection of the classes to suit the time you have available. Enroll a specific group for the entire course, or offer TBH CARE 1.0 as a series of “drop in” classes. Just remember that the course is best taught one-to-one or in a small group of 2 to 3 per class for optimal social engagement.

WHEN? Figure out what time of day might work best for your students. We recommend offering the program at least twice during the week, on different days and at different times to give everyone the chance to fit the TBH CARE 1.0 classes into their schedule.

WHERE? Use a space large enough to comfortably hold the group as they engage in a variety of exercises that require movement in the classroom. The course is designed for “circle” formation seating. Having your group seated in a circle means they can easily see you and each other, making it easier for everyone to follow non-verbal cueing and engage socially as a group.

GET SET! 

Now that you’ve covered the basics, it’s time to make sure you are well prepared to teach your TBH CARE 1.0 course.

READ THROUGH THE TOOLKIT MATERIALS. Everything you need to successfully teach the course is housed online in your toolkit. Familiarize yourself with all the materials, including the course as well as the trainer education, planning and marketing resources.

FIND YOUR TEACHING VOICE. Read through classes more than once to familiarize yourself with them. While the classes offer scripting, we strongly encourage you to find your own voice and phrasing for teaching the course. Try practicing with someone beforehand, so you get an idea of the flow of material.

PREPARE YOUR COURSE MATERIALS! Print out all the course teaching materials, including the cards and other stimulus materials for each class. Put the materials by class into separate folders to organize them. Pay careful attention to items where you will need to collate or laminate in advance of a class. Make a note of additional items that must be purchased or ordered in advance, such as food. Be sure to preview and where needed download as well any slides, music or videos provided for your classes. 

 

GO!

These field-tested tips go a long way in making your course successful!

GET THE WORD OUT! Launching a new program can take a bit of promotion! Spread the word using the marketing resources in your toolkit. These include a video invitation you can add to your e-signage, member portal or website, a community presentation program with slides and interactive exercises you can use to introduce the course to your community, as well as suggested copy for newsletters, postings, and press releases. Finally, enlist colleagues and community leaders who can help you build interest. Ask them to announce the course in their other classes or meetings. And don’t forget to add the TBH class to your calendar!

SIGN THEM UP! The TBH CARE 1.0 course is best delivered one-to-one or in a small group format, with 2 to 3 students in a class. The size limit is important to a successful class experience, especially with clients who have more memory challenge. For that reason, we strongly encourage you to pre-register folks for the course. This ensures you have attendance and reduces the chances that you will have to turn people away at the door.

COMMUNICATE YOUR CLASS SCHEDULE AND TOPICS. Make the class topics available in advance, adding them to your community calendar or offering the class schedule to interested parties. Use the TBH Student Welcome Packet and TBH Blank Class Schedule in the Supplementary Course Handouts section of your toolkit to encourage participation. Arrange for reminder calls or emails to anyone who has registered or comes to the first few sessions to support continued attendance.

GET EVALUATED! Be sure to complete the TBH CARE Program Survey, found in the Planning section of your toolkit. It’s a great way to track progress and build on your success. You may submit completed evaluations to Total Brain Health for us to collate and share the data back to you.

 

BEST PRACTICES FOR TEACHING PERSONS LIVING WITH MEMORY LOSS

The TBH CARE 1.0 course is unique among our programs in that it supports better cognitive well-being for those facing moderate memory loss. Some best practices tips for teaching this course include:

GO SLOW. When determining your TBH CARE 1.0 course structure, be sure to allow ample time to complete the training activities. Make sure you have the time to fully explore and enjoy the class training together, as that is key to a successful course. There is no need to rush, and better to leave more time for brain health training!

GO SHORT. Consider limiting class lengths by skipping section exercises as needed, especially if your group consists of several folks with great cognitive challenge. We have found that individuals dealing with greater cognitive loss benefit from and enjoy more frequent, shorter length classes. With memory loss, it can often be easier to hold focus and be meaningfully part of the conversation in a shorter length class.

FOLLOW THE THREE C’S OF COMMUNICATION.

The intellectual challenges of memory loss can in many cases make it difficult to follow complex, idiomatic speech patterns. Our TBH CARE series uses scripting that follows some longstanding advice known as the “Three C’s”:

• Concise. Use language that is direct and to the point. Avoid excessive description and digression in your speech, especially when giving direction. “Plain” speech is easier to follow, especially when we are having trouble holding our focus or keeping track of information due to memory loss.
• Consistent. Use language in consistent ways. Repeat phrasing, directions, and try and use the same or similar wording as you instruct the course. You will note that the introductory and ending materials for the TBH classes are almost identical in wording. This is intentional, as it offers consistent communication, making it easier for participants to follow and retain the directions.
• Calm. Speak in a calm, level tone of voice. Keep the pace of your voice even, and aim to speak with deliberate, steady delivery. Doing so makes it easier for everyone to follow your lead in the class.

 

FOSTER CONNECTIONS.

One of the most valuable aspects of the TBH CARE 1.0 course is the opportunity to connect with each other. Guide members of the group to engage with each other, not just with you. Have participants direct questions and talk together with other classmates. Foster an environment that gives everyone ample time to respond in conversation, as some class members will need a few extra minutes to find a word or communicate a thought. Encourage your class to spend time together outside of the classroom too, as appropriate, supporting each other to engage in the brain healthy lifestyle activities they are learning in the classroom.

PRESERVE PERSONHOOD.

Above all else, recognize that each of the class members are valued individuals who should not be defined by a disease. Foster a class environment that focuses on the persons in your classroom, and not on their losses. At all times set an example of respect and preserve the dignity of your group members.

 

NO JUDGEMENT, NO WRONG ANSWERS.

Make it clear that your TBH CARE classroom is a “judgement-free” zone, where everyone is welcome and accepted, where there are no wrong answers, and where just showing up and being part of the group is all that matters. In fact, going “off track” is not only okay, but sometimes leads the class down a path that is richer and offers more opportunity to connect and learn from each other. And that is also good for our brains!

 

HAVE FUN!

We hope that throughout the course everyone – including the trainers! – will have fun, laugh a lot, and enjoy the warmth of new friendships.

 

… AND DON’T FORGET!

Photographs, completed class materials, student quotes, and the like are great ways to share the success of your TBH CARE 1.0 course! Create a bulletin board, share in your newsletters, on your website or online in social media. Be sure to “tag” Total Brain Health on Facebook or Twitter so we can help spread the word about the great work you are doing!