What is The S.E.L.F. Program?
The primary purpose of S.E.L.F. is to provide a practical, experiential program to assist in understanding the person with memory loss and help them retain their sense of self. Person-centered programming means that we provide engagement and activity for persons with memory loss in which we:
- Stimulate them to their highest level
of participation
- Encourage success and fun in everything
they do
- Learn from them and honor them as
they see themselves
- Foster positive relationships
The S.E.L.F. Program comprises what we call the "Four Elements
of Person-Centered Programming" and has the following goals:
- Develop the problem-solving skills necessary
for promoting a meaningful day of activity
for individuals living with all stages of
memory loss
- Provide a holistic activity program for
persons with memory loss and the staff who
work with them
- Apply the principles of person-centered
care to the planning and implementation of
successful activity programs for persons with
memory loss
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Watch co-creater Bill Keane talk more in-depth about The S.E.L.F. Program:
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In the design of these modules, we have attempted
to utilize three major strategies:
- The ideal person-centered program has as
its foundation a meaningful relationship
between the caregiver and the resident with
memory loss. At the same time, we strongly
support meaningful relationships among staff
members and true teamwork to create an exciting
approach to care.
- In the spirit of the culture change movement, which has as one of its core values "Know the Person," we emphasize holistic assessment in order that we can engage and stimulate persons with memory loss to their highest level of participation and success. This can only happen when staff truly know their residents: their values, needs, preferences, life history, and life roles. Many caregivers settle for custodial care with an emphasis on preventing negative
behaviors or providing reminiscence activities and games of fun. S.E.L.F. assumes that there is always a unique self to be nourished, supported by active and skilled caregivers who engage residents beyond the tasks of custodial care.
- Finally, this philosophy comes together in a strategy we call the "Just Right Challenge." We define this as a technique for supporting a person's independence and success; finding the right balance between what a person can do for themselves and when they need help - not too much, not too little, just the right amount.
In developing this program, we examined more than 75 staff training programs in Alzheimer's dementia care. Most of them had been developed over the past 15 years by chapters of the Alzheimer's Association, geriatric education centers, government agencies, and dementia care providers. Most of these training programs are didactic in format (many with videos), with content focused primarily on basic issues: defining dementia, medical care, nutrition, communication skills, managing difficult behaviors, medications, late stage care, and family issues.
The last thing we wanted to do with S.E.L.F. was reinvent the wheel of good dementia care education. We wanted to create a training program that would connect the great technology of dementia care and activity to the frontline staff giving direct care every day. We work with them and they are our heroes. Often, they have the motivation and the resources, but lack grounding in the vision and tools of person-centered care. Our goal with S.E.L.F. is to support them as great problem-solvers as they help others.
Who can benefit from S.E.L.F.?
S.E.L.F. is designed as a series
of activities and exercises that provide
direct caregivers with the values, assessment
skills, and planning tools to create the ideal
person-centered program. It is a train-the-trainer
approach and can be used with all staff. The
word "participant" is used throughout
the modules because a high level of participation
is expected in the training.
This program is not intended for professionals
or staff looking for an introduction to Alzheimer's
disease and dementia care. It assumes from the
beginning that the participants are well educated
in these facts and have been trained in the
basics of daily care.
S.E.L.F. focuses on the care and
support of persons with memory loss living in
residential care settings, but could also be
useful for staff in community-based settings.
How do I use S.E.L.F.?
S.E.L.F.has 23 modules organized
into five parts:
- Part A – Introduction to Person-Centered
Care
- Part B – Seeing Through the Eyes of
the Person with Memory Loss
- Part C – Assessment and the Stages
of Dementia
- Part D – Person-Centered Programming
- Part E – Program Enrichment
Each module has the following seven elements:
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1. Trainer Tips
This section explains the
purpose of the module and
offers practical tips about successful implementation. |
2.
Materials You Will Need
This is a detailed list of equipment
and materials you need for this
module, along with logistical
suggestions. |
3.
Module Content
The module content is not a
narrative, but an easy flow
of bullet points, exercises,
and other instructions arranged
in a clear, easy-to-use manner.
Instructions intended for direct
statement by the Trainer are
indicated in bolded italics,
but everything else consists
of bulleted statements or suggestions
to be used by the trainer. |
4.
Slides/Overhead Transparencies
The slides for each module are
included in a CD that accompanies
the Trainer’s Guide.
These slides may be used as
a PowerPoint presentation or
printed out as overhead transparencies
to be used in each module. |
5.
Participant Handouts
Handouts are found at the end
of some modules and can be easily
copied for distribution to participants. |
6.
Key Terms
Terms introduced in the module
or considered relevant to the
content are defined at the end
of each module. They are also
incorporated into a glossary. |
7.
Review
Each module (except module 19)
includes a short questionnaire
on the content of that module,
with one or two questions from
previous modules. The review
is not a formal part of the
training, but the questions
may be used for evaluation purposes.
They are intended to foster
discussion about the module. |
8.
Videos
Finally, S.E.L.F. includes five DVD/videos that
were filmed at three residential
settings in the greater Chicagoland
area. They average 12 minutes
in length, except for module 5, which
is 19-minutes long. The DVD/videos
are intended to be integrated
into the full training, but
some may be used in certain
stand-alone trainings.
All are designed to be paused
repeatedly for comments by the
Trainer and discussion with
the training participants. |
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The DVD/videos are scheduled to be used in
Modules 3, 11, 12, 17, and 18.
How can I find out more about S.E.L.F.?
For costs or more information, call 1 (888) 722.6468, or fill out our information form.
