Communication underlies all relationships. In order to communicate with someone, we must be able to make contact with them. How do we make contact in a way that invites a conversation and an opportunity to connect? Working with challenging behaviors in older adults can add a great deal of stress for professional helpers. Because older clients may resist a helper’s invitation to discuss these behaviors, the helper needs to understand the source of resistance. In this workshop, we will understand, examine, and learn to respond effectively to a variety of challenging behaviors.
Topics Include:
- Recognize characteristics of challenging behavior in older people
- Understand experiences that contribute to an older person’s challenging behavior
- Respond to expression of shame and depression in older male clients
- Learn how past trauma can trigger anger and aggressive behavior
- Develop skills to help reduce the intensity of the “acting out” behavior
- Discern ways in which older men and women express challenging behaviors
- Help professionals respond to their own needs when working with older people who have difficulty expressing feelings of grief, guilt, and shame
Course Code
506156