Chateau Gardens Assisted Living Community

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methods started on West Coast by Eugene company

“When present time and place fade, when work goes, when rules no longer matter, when social obligations have lost meaning, a basic humanity shines through.” - Naomi Feil, The Validation Breakthrough (Health Professions Press, Inc., 2002)

I recently had the opportunity to attend a presentation on Validation®: The Feil Method Changing the Paradigm of Long-Term Care by Jean Garboden, Amira Fahoum, and Jill Krupoff of Ridgeline’s Pacific Coast Validation.

Chateau Gardens Memory Care Community was the inspiration for Ridgeline Management Company to search for a way to communicate with disoriented elders. The presentation took us from the discovery and acquisition of Chateau Gardens through our journey to date. It introduces Naomi Feil, the creator of Validation®: The Feil Method, explaining what The Feil Method is, and the world-wide research that has been done.

Because the majority of the research provided only anecdotal results Ridgeline’s Pacific Coast Validation decided to do their own research using Chateau Gardens as their case study. Documentation was analyzed on five initial areas of study: psychotropic medications, total medications, incidents (falls, resident behaviors), staff retention, and financial viability. The results of the analysis were stunning! Since beginning our journey with Validation® in 2007 we have had a 93% reduction in the use of psychotropic medications, a 66% reduction in overall incidents (56.5% reduction in falls, 74% reduction in behaviors), and 73% reduction in irritability of residents. Our employee turnover rate in 2007 was 168%, and 52.2% in 2009. There is documented proof that Validation® training equals decreased costs by reducing staff turnover costs, increased quality of life for elders and employees, decreased medication costs for elders and their families, and increased revenue for communities.

We are so very proud to be instrumental in this journey. Please stop by and ask us about Validation® and pick up a complimentary copy of Validation Techniques for Dementia Care written by Vicki de Klerk-Rubin.

November marks the start of Ridgeline Management Company’s (Eugene, OR) inaugural classes in Validation: The Feil Method; based on the work of Naomi Feil. For over 30 years, Naomi Feil has worked with and developed a method for communicating with disoriented elders. Commonly, these elders are referred to as having dementia, or Alzheimer’s disease.

Validation is a tested method of communication with elderly disoriented people that helps reduce stress, and enhance dignity and happiness. It is accepting the feelings of another person and reaching out to them with empathy. Students are taught to be empathetic listeners and be non-judgmental when working with the disoriented; bringing them peace, connectedness, and an improved quality of life.

To date, Validation has only been practiced in Europe, Australia, Japan, and in Hershey, PA. Ridgeline Management Company is a Eugene, OR-based senior housing company specializing in assisted living and Alzheimer’s care. Ridgeline is hosting this course for the first time on the west coast of the United States. Taught by Vicki deKlerk- Rubin, European Manager of the Validation Training Institute, students attend five two-day courses and practice the skills taught over eight months’ time. In order to be certified as a Validation Worker, students must pass written and practical tests, demonstrating their ability to use this method when working with elders with dementia.

Jean Garboden, Chief Operations Officer of Ridgeline Management Company, said, “Mrs. deKlerk-Rubin started us on the path of new thinking, new ways of learning about, and new ways of helping disoriented elderly. We hope to someday have all of our communities, nationwide, taught in this method and using Validation when working with our residents.”

Both inaugural classes had Ridgeline employees participating from 9 of their 14 communities and two from the corporate office. “Both classes proved to be challenging and promising in the potential we have to exponentially increase the number of elders we serve. We are very proud to be on this path to join the international community in using this method to serve disoriented elders,” Garboden said.

Ridgeline is the first on the west coast to host classes in Validation. The instructor, Vicki deKlerk-Rubin was both impressed and pleased at their professional group of employees eager to make a difference in the lives of elders.

Garboden said, “Comments shared about the classes included apprehension about the intensity of the work we’re doing, but excited about the impact we can make in the lives of our residents. It will be a long learning process for everyone, yet thrilling to apply our newly formed skills almost immediately. We cannot ‘cure’ dementia, but we learned we can provide an outlet for those with dementia to express themselves through the end of their lives; bringing them peace.”

To learn more about Validation and Naomi Feil, visit www.vfvalidation.org . For more information on Ridgeline Management Company, visit www.ridgelinemc.com.

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2669 S Cloverleaf Loop | Springfield, OR 97477 | Phone: (541) 746-9703 | Fax: (541) 744-7017