Personalized Workshops

Choose from 25 courses to set-up your education onsite or virtually to meet your staff needs.

Wondering where to start? If the Rosehaven Outreach Team has never presented at your facility, Creating a Therapeutic Relationship and The ABCC’s of Behaviour Management are an excellent choice to give your team new to dementia care, person-centred care and behaviour management a strong foundation to move forward. Choose a third module for presentation in the afternoon to tailor your team’s education needs.

If your team is familiar with responsive behaviours and knowledgeable in person-centred care, choose three to four modules for a full day of training your site.

The Virtual Dementia Tour® (VDT) is a full day and cannot be combined with any of the modules listed. (VDT) is always presented as face-to-face. VDT requires the learner to participate in a 15-minute tour and return later in the day for a 60-minute group debrief. The learner must attend both the tour and debrief in order to receive a certificate.

PIECES™ is presented virtually.

Course Descriptions:

P.I.E.C.E.S.™ Training

PIECES is a holistic, relationship-focused approach that utilizes collaborative engagement, shared assessments and supportive care for older persons living at risk or with complex health conditions. These may include but are not limited to:

Neurocognitive disorders, including dementia
Mental health and substance use disorders
Neurological conditions
Physical health issues

The PIECES approach, including job aids, engages all members of an evidence-informed team, building on each individual’s strengths, promoting health, and preventing unnecessary disability. The team considers the person’s physical, intellectual and emotional health; strategies to support their capabilities; their social and physical environment; and their social self (life story, culture, spirituality, sexuality and gender identity).

The PIECES approach provides a framework that is practical and versatile, and can enable early detection, health promotion and disability prevention through:

Common language for communicating with the person, care partner and care team;
A common set of values modeled through the Core Competencies;
A collaborative, evidence-based approach for finding strategies to support the individual.

Training Structure

Available Sessions to Choose From

ABCC's of Behaviour Management

The ABCCs of Behaviour Management offers a practical and structured framework distinguished by its step-by-step process for understanding and addressing responsive behaviours in older adults with dementia. Educators will present the unique features of this model and guide learners in applying it to their work setting along the person-centred approach. This approach is adopted from the Geropsychiatric Education Program in Vancouver, with some revisions.

Alzheimer Disease and Down Syndrome

People with Down Syndrome face a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease. This module reviews screening tools, clinical progression, and offers ways to support our Down Syndrome clients with Alzheimer’s Disease through a person-centred approach.

Creating a Therapeutic Relationship (Person-Centred Care)

A person-centred approach to building a therapeutic relationship emphasizes empathy, respect, trust, and collaboration. This approach centers on recognizing each individual as distinct, with their own values, preferences, needs, and experiences. Establishing this bond begins with attentive listening, clear communication, and affirmation of the person's feelings and choices. Care providers uphold the individual’s autonomy, engage them in decision-making, and ensure they feel acknowledged, respected, and empowered in their care. Success depends on genuinely knowing the client, grasping their specific needs, and adapting care accordingly. By fostering dignity, supporting independence, and responding sensitively to emotional and physical needs through techniques such as distraction, diversion, and re-approach, the person-centred approach strengthens the therapeutic bond and enhances care quality.

Common Forms of Dementia

Imagine caring for someone whose memories slowly fade and everyday tasks become a challenge—this is the reality for over half a million Canadians living with dementia. As a health care worker in continuing care facilities or designated supportive living, you are likely to meet clients facing these challenges. The demands of supporting this population are numerous, and a strong understanding of dementia is essential for providing exceptional care. This module will guide you through the four most common forms of dementia, along with brief overviews of other types of dementia.

Delirium

Delirium is a common, serious, and often treatable condition characterized by an acute onset in individuals who are medically unwell. This module examines prevalent causes of delirium in older adults, outlines associated risk factors, and distinguishes delirium from dementia using the Confusion Assessment Method tool. The module also addresses management strategies and supportive care approaches.

Depression in the Elderly

Depression remains a leading cause of disability. Health care staff must recognize that depression in older adults is treatable and that effective interventions can lead to significant functional, social, and health improvements. This module examines the signs and symptoms of depression in older adults, reviews illnesses and medications that may contribute to depressive symptoms, and outlines the responsibilities of health care staff in managing depression. The module also describes early suicide warning signs, risk factors in the elderly, and their management

Developing Relationships While Maintaining Healthy Boundaries (for all staff)

Boundaries define the limits necessary to maintain a safe therapeutic relationship. This course enables staff to identify professional boundaries, understand their protective function, and implement strategies for sustaining healthy boundaries. Participants will also develop skills to recognize indicators of potential boundary violations. Case studies will illustrate examples of boundary crossings and violations, along with appropriate responses.

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Fall Prevention, Secure Spaces and Least Restraint for the Elderly

Falls and related injuries present urgent challenges in healthcare safety. Despite considerable efforts to prevent falls, Alberta reports the third-highest rate of hospital admissions for seniors due to falls in Canada. This module addresses key risk factors and clarifies care provider responsibilities through a dynamic, team-based approach to fall prevention and least restraint, all with a sharp focus on empowering client mobility in continuing care settings.

Families as Partners in Care

When a family places a loved one in a care facility, it begins a journey filled with changes and emotional challenges. Families face uncertainty and tough choices. This can leave them feeling unsettled and make it harder to support their loved one and the staff. This module explains how building positive connections with families can help. Participants will learn practical ways to communicate clearly and compassionately. They will also learn to recognize caregiver stress and burnout, and find effective ways to involve and support families as partners in care

Fostering Meaningful Engagement

We often think we must have trained recreation staff available to provide activities for clients. By understanding and knowing the client, and following a few simple steps, we can all provide meaningful activities that enhance the quality of life for those we care for. Participants will learn to differentiate between boredom and need in clients. Guidelines for meaningful activity planning and implementation will be shared and discussed.

Introduction to Pain Management

As healthcare professionals working daily with older adults, we frequently encounter individuals experiencing pain from various causes. These clients may exhibit responsive behaviours associated with their pain. This module will examine potential causes of pain, the relationship between pain and responsive behaviours, and both non-pharmacological and pharmacological care strategies.

Leadership: What makes a leader? (Health Care Professional Level)

We will explore emotional intelligence and its importance in leadership. A leader’s emotional intelligence can have sweeping influence over their relationships, how they manage their teams, and how they interact with individuals in the workplace. Self-management competencies and relationship-management competencies will be discussed, as well as their direct correlation with strong leadership.

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Parkinson's Disease

According to Statistics Canada, Parkinson’s disease is the second-most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer Disease. Educators will examine prevalence and possible etiologies of Parkinson’s Disease and identify early clinical symptoms and cardinal signs of the disease. The role of the health care provider will be discussed and strategies identified to enhance the provision of care to clients with Parkinson’s Disease.

P.I.E.C.E.S.™ Training

Using the PIECES approach and Job aides help to engage all members through an evidence informed team approach with collaborative assessment and shared care, building on the individuals’ strengths, promoting health and preventing unnecessary disability. Always consider the persons: Physical, Intellectual, and Emotional Health, strategies to support their Capabilities, their social and physical Environment and Social self (life story, cultural, spiritual, sexuality, gender identity).

Resident-to-Resident Aggression

Resident-to-resident aggression is a growing phenomenon in continuing care homes. In this course, educators will explore risk factors that can contribute to resident-to-resident aggression, as well as potential measures that may aid in preventing or reducing resident-to-resident aggression. We will use the ABCC Model to work through case studies.

Retrogenesis (Stages of Alzheimer Disease)

This course examines the relationship between the degenerative dementia of Alzheimer Disease and the inverse developmental sequences of childhood/infancy. Educators will review and interpret the Brief Cognitive Rating Scale and the Functional Assessment Staging Tool with learners, and care strategies for the client in mid- to late-stage Alzheimer Disease will be discussed.

Role Renewal

Most of us have many roles in life, whether as a parent, grandparent, volunteer, electrician, nurse, spouse, etc. These roles define who we are and give us a sense of worth or value. When individuals move into continuing care, they often face role loss; this loss can ultimately lead to loneliness and/or depression. In this course, educators will explain role loss by looking at life stages, describe the causes and consequences of role loss, and discuss the principle of role renewal in our care.

Seniors and Addictions

How do we support and care for seniors with addictions in the continuing care setting? Research states that alcohol is the most commonly used and misused substance among adults aged 65 years and older. Educators will outline the prevalence and implications of alcohol use by seniors, briefly touch on illicit drug use, and discuss sex addiction, food addiction and gambling. Learners will review assessment and treatment methods for the senior client with substance abuse and misuse disorders. As a group we will discuss the role of staff in caring for the senior client with addictions.

Sexuality and Intimacy in Continuing Care

The purpose of this workshop is to bring awareness of sexuality and intimacy in the continuing care setting, and recognition that sexuality has no age limit. Learners will explore their own values, beliefs and attitudes around sexuality and intimacy in the lives of senior clients with or without dementia. Educators will discuss how sexuality and intimacy impact quality of life, and will examine family influence, beliefs and barriers. Staff will consider clients with dementia and how consent is defined. A section on LGBTQ2S+ seniors will be discussed specific to challenges they face in continuing care and how health care providers can support them.

Schizophrenia in the Older Person

Individuals aged 55 years and older will soon account for 25% or more of the total population of patients with schizophrenia worldwide (Psychiatric Times, 2019). This course will examine how both diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia differ in the older client. Learners will be able to differentiate between positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia and describe late-onset schizophrenia. Educators will discuss the use of antipsychotics and their potential side effects. Staff will learn care strategies to use with a client who shows suspiciousness, depression or hostility.

Sensory Systems

Impaired sensory functioning impacts the quality of life of older people by influencing the way they experience the environment and react to stimuli, and by limiting social activities — factors which may lead to isolation and depression. Educators will review the seven senses and why sensory needs should be considered and included in the plan of care for clients. Learners will review strategies to maintain appropriate states of alertness and will discuss the consequences of over- and under-stimulation.

Understanding Dementia

This course provides a broad introduction to the world of dementia. In addition to presenting basic information about the condition itself, the module focuses on learning to understand individuals with dementia in order to support and communicate with them, thereby enhancing their quality of life.

Virtual Dementia Tour®

The Virtual Dementia Tour® simulates the effects of aging and dementia, in order to give participants an opportunity to “walk in the shoes” of an individual facing those challenges. The tour is a very powerful experience that leaves participants with a deeper awareness of the world of dementia and a greater sense of empathy. Registering for the Virtual Dementia Tour® is unique in that participants are individually booked into 15-minute tours; later all tour participants meet as a group for a 60-minute debriefing.

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