What is Dementia Reality™ ?
The first dementia instruction program combining skills training with real-life obstacles in a virtual environment.
The outcome is more empathetic caregivers and happier, engaged residents, clients and patients.
Dementia Reality™ is a collaboration between CJE SeniorLife and Elderwerks Educational Services
The organizations believe being immersed into the world of dementia is a better way to teach professionals and families about dementia.
CJE SeniorLife (CJE): Established in 1971, CJE is a leading Chicago area eldercare provider offering a wide array of healthcare services, wellness education, home and community-based resources, housing, benefits advocacy, and applied research. Each year, these services annually benefit 20,000 clients and caregivers throughout the metropolitan area. CJE is committed to serving older adults and their families regardless of income, religion, gender, or ethnicity. CJE has extensive experience in the development and facilitation of dementia-friendly programming.
Elderwerks Educational Services (Elderwerks): Established in 2012, Elderwerks’ mission is to provide older adults, seniors, and families with senior living coordination, advocacy, and education. The complimentary information, referrals, and guidance provided helps seniors make appropriate decisions. Acting as “senior guidance counselors” Elderwerks is able to answer any aging related question regarding senior housing, care, benefits, services, veteran’s benefits, local resources, as well as federal programs. This information provided helps seniors stay home well or transition successfully into a new opportunity. Annually, Elderwerks serves over 1,200 individuals in-person and nearly 10,000 through telephonic support.
Dementia Reality® is a joint project of CJE SeniorLife and Elderwerks
and is generously funded by the Foglia Foundation.
Extensive training using the innovative Dementia Reality™ VR module training program
Learn more about:
- Personhood
- Communication
- Intentional Supportive Approach
- How to improve the quality of care for a person living with dementia
Dementia Reality™ Benefits for Staff
- Empathy for individuals living with dementia through first-hand experience.
- Increased knowledge and understanding of AD/ADRD; 6-hour CEU-certified dementia training in personhood, safety, empathy, understanding and managing behaviors.
- Build knowledge and skills through immersion.
- Engages and motivates the adult learner through experiential training.
- Acceleration of skills – discussion and reflection of each person’s experience helps build knowledge.
- Improved job satisfaction leads to increased staff retention.
- Increased safety; fewer staff injuries.
Dementia Reality™ Benefits for Clients & Residents
- Improved quality of care: Focus on personhood and unconscious bias facilitates awareness of resident and family preferences, values, cultural traditions, and socio-economic conditions.
- Improved behavioral outcomes and decreased use of psychotropic medications.
- Increased safety: Better communication, improved care means fewer falls and other injuries.
- Enhanced care relationships, improved quality of life.
The growing Alzheimer’s crisis
Combined with persistent extreme worker shortages
Upcoming Events
Currently we are focused on the healthcare sector
The new Dementia Reality™ VR module includes extensive training on personhood, communication, supportive approach™ and improving the quality of care of a person living with dementia.
Learn more:
Download Administrative FAQ
Download General FAQ
Dementia Reality™ has been designed to utilize technology to develop better outcomes.
This new way of learning helps improve the quality of care, reduces claims and losses due to personnel failures, and improves staff satisfaction.
Your newly trained employees will help improve quality of care and your census.
Feel free to call 773.508.1123, email help@dementiareality.org or complete the form below to learn more about availability and pricing options.