My passion is working to assist people in living the best they can, regardless of their circumstances. With almost four decades of working in visual arts, multi-media community cultural development education and art therapy, I bring a fresh and creative approach to dementia care and engaging those living with dementia and their carers.
For over a decade I have been working in the aged care sector, specifically with people living with dementia, mentoring carers and delivering staff training to organisations. I have worked in a wide range of advocacy, dementia support, education and consultancy roles in residential, home care and remote settings.
FOR ORGANISATIONS
Working with people living with dementia requires specialised skills and understanding.
I support organisations to train, mentor staff on the floor and develop programs that provide consumer directed care to consumers. My focus is on promoting wellness and re-ablement with a strengths-based approach.
All services are customised to meet the unique goals of your organisation, clients and staff.
Team training topics:
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understanding dementia
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consumer directed care in practice
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meaningful and creative activities
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life story work
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Montessori approach to caring and
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creating a dementia-friendly and an enabling environment
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practical strategies for supporting the care worker
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effective engagement with clients, residents and family carers
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effective communication techniques
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troubleshooting behaviours of concern
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elder abuse – understanding what it is, signs to look for and what to do about it
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teamwork in a cross-cultural work place
Topics can be offered in combinations informing each other in the same session.
Activities:- working with clients living with dementia to provide respite, individual and group activities.
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Including designing and facilitating creative engagement groups in life story work, art, reminiscence
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Montessori programs
If you would like to discuss the ways in which I can support your team and service, contact me for an obligation-free discussion.
“Just as I’ve run out of options to assist someone and both of us are feeling a bit forlorn, Christabelle comes past and casually offers them a suggestion or comment, or hands them a crayon, or some such thing, which had been sitting there under our noses all along, and they are off again, happily engaged! I needed someone to show me what’s possible. Now I’ve learnt that anything is possible!”
-Sally, volunteer assistant, Aged Care Creative Expression Group.
Dementia Respite Group
Week 1:“Don’t know what to do. Haven’t got a
creative bone in my body, never have, never will."
Week 8: “Come on everybody. Let’s get going. We don’t know what we’re doing, but we’re
having fun!”
80+year old woman with moderate dementia
“Isn’t it amazing what we can do!”
Maggie, 72 year old woman with mid-stage dementia