World Acclaimed Dementia/Alzheimer's Expert Partners with Meridian Senior Living and The University of Akron to Offer a Unique Educational Workshop in June

AKRON, Ohio, April 15, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Meridian Senior Living, LLC is proud to announce a life-changing opportunity to learn how to communicate with and reach cognitively impaired individuals from world-renowned Dementia expert Naomi Feil, M.S.W., A.C.S.W, founder of the Validation Training Institute. This rare event will be held on June 13, 2019 from 1-5 p.m., at The University of Akron's Quaker Station located at 135 Broadway Street, Akron, OH 44325. This event is proudly co-sponsored by The University of Akron: Institute for Life-Span Development and Gerontology, Direction Home Akron Canton Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities, Northeast Ohio Association of Activity Professionals, and Ohio senior living communities: Heritage Crossing, The Landing of Canton, and Brooklyn Pointe. Free to the public, attendees must register prior to the event at https://validationjune2019.eventbrite.com.

This workshop is vital to caregivers as the global impact of dementia is staggering. According to the Alzheimer's Association, as of 2015 there were 9.9 million new cases worldwide with one diagnosed every 3 seconds. There are 46.8 million people across the world living with dementia in 2015. This number is expected to double every 20 years to 74.7 million in 2030 and a whopping 131.5 million in 2050. And in our own country, one in nine people age 65 and older has Alzheimer's disease. By mid-century, someone in the United States will develop the disease every 33 seconds. With that data in mind, all of us will be affected by Alzheimer's in one way or another and understanding about the disease becomes increasingly important to deal capably with afflicted family members and loved ones.

The speaker Naomi Feil, born in Munich in 1932, grew up in the Montefiore Home for the Aged in Cleveland, Ohio where her father was administrator and her mother was head of Social Services. After graduating with a Master's degree in Social Work from Columbia University, Naomi began working with the elderly. Between 1963 and 1980, Mrs. Feil developed the Validation technique as a response to her dissatisfaction with traditional methods of working with severely disoriented elders.

Validation is a method of communicating with and helping cognitively impaired seniors. It helps reduce stress, enhances dignity and promotes happiness. Built on an empathetic and holistic approach, Validation asks caregivers to 'step into the shoes' of those with dementia and 'see through their eyes' to understand the meaning of their often-complex behaviors. This method allows seniors the opportunity to express, both verbal and non-verbal, their often-suppressed feelings and needs. Please see this video (Click here) to better understand and observe first-hand Validation therapy.

Feil founded the Validation Training Institute (VTI) in 1983 and, as Executive Director of VTI, has traveled the world, including Germany, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, France, Belgium, Italy, Great Britain, and Austria. On behalf of Meridian Senior Living, she visited China to share her experience and Validation method with people from all walks of life. VTI, a U.S.-based, not-for-profit organization with a professional Board of Directors, has progressively developed certification levels and training programs, and formed a network of national and regional Validation organizations to disseminate information, train interested individuals, and maintain 'the spirit of Validation.'

"We are proud to collaborate with Ms. Feil in educating our team members and associate businesses to create a much higher quality of life for our memory care residents across the country and in China," says Kevin Carlin, Principal and Chief Sales Officer. "We are committed to enriching the lives of seniors and continue to actively support our memory care communities through education and proven staff training."

To R.S.V.P. to this unique event, please visit https://validationjune2019.eventbrite.com or contact Laura Miller at Heritage Crossing at (330) 483.5937.

About Meridian Senior Living: 
Meridian Senior Living, LLC, a privately held company, owns and operates senior housing communities across the United States. With more than 7,000 beds, Meridian is currently the eighteenth largest senior housing operator in the United States. Meridian prides itself on providing the highest quality care and affordable living options to residents in their own communities. Although large in scale, Meridian focuses its growth effort on building state-of-the-art properties in cities outside major markets. For more information on Meridian Senior Living, visit us online at http://www.meridiansenior.com.

SOURCE Meridian Senior Living