Products and Services

Workshops

The Simulation and Virtual Learning team leads workshops centered on geriatric care. Our workshops are customized to meet the needs of the learners, and smaller sessions can be consolidated into larger formats as required. We apply a systematic approach to curriculum design, integrating experiential, team-based learning with interprofessional competencies to foster discovery, critical thinking, communication and solution-focused teamwork. Our training incorporates engaging educational tools, including simulation, gamification, arts-based learning and role-playing.

To contact the Simulation and Virtual Learning team about bringing our workshops to you, please contact Meaghan Adams at MAdams@baycrest.org or call 416-785-2500 ext. 2955.

Our workshops include:

Fundamentals of Dementia

By combining interactive didactic components, trigger videos, and gamification, learners will develop a greater understanding and appreciation of dementia, including its prevalence, early signs and symptoms, and potential functional impacts.

• Understanding and Responding to People Living with Dementia

  This workshop provides an overview of dementia, including different types and common signs and symptoms. Learners will be able to recognize, reflect and respond to eight common features associated with dementia.

  At the conclusion of this session, learners will:

  1. Be introduced to the pathophysiology of dementia and recognize its signs and symptoms (the 8As of dementia)
  2. Develop awareness of common strategies to manage dementia and responsive behaviours
  3. Develop and demonstrate strategies to adapt their role or practice when working with people with dementia
• Understanding and Responding to Responsive Behaviours

  This workshop combines interactive didactic components, trigger videos, and live simulation to teach learners how to recognize, reflect and respond to responsive behaviours of older adults with dementia.

  At the conclusion of this session, learners will:

  1. Recognize responsive behaviours common in people with dementia
  2. Reflect on the potential triggers
  3. Develop awareness of common strategies to manage responsive behaviours
  4. Demonstrate strategies to care for person’s with dementia and responsive behaviours
• Geriatric Mental Health

  This workshop explores how the changing complexities of aging can exacerbate challenges in an individual’s life, particularly when aging is accompanied by mental health disorders. It emphasizes the individualized nature of working with clients who are aging with mental health conditions, highlighting the unique care needs, strategies, and approaches required to support these individuals effectively.

  At the conclusion of this session, learners will:

  1. Identify complex mental health disorders
  2. Discuss the complexities of age-related changes that
  3. Respond with strategies and approaches to support individuals with complex mental health disorders

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Fundamentals of Aging

• Age-related Changes

  This workshop discuss common age-related changes that impact older adults life experiences.

  At the conclusion of this session, learners will:

  1. Describe age-related changes in physical, sensory, and cognitive function.
  2. Describe common illnesses and health issues in older adults.
  3. Demonstrate strategies to respond to acute changes in older adults’ health status.
  4. Identify communication and teamwork strategies to facilitate interprofessional, team-based and relationship-centered care
• Frail Aging Simulation

  This engaging workshop utilizes a frail aging simulation suit designed to replicate the physical, sensory, and cognitive changes that can accompany aging. Participants experience firsthand the challenges that older adults may face in daily life, from physical limitations to the complexities of cognitive changes. The simulation aims to foster empathy and understanding, not only for older adults but also specifically for those living with dementia.

  Expert facilitators guide the experience, ensuring that psychological safety principles are in place throughout. This supportive environment allows participants to deeply connect with the aging experience, gaining insights that help them empathize with older adults as they navigate the changes that come with aging.

  At the conclusion of this session, learners will:

  1. Interpret physical and sensory changes associated with frailty
  2. Implement strategies to adapt their role or practice when working with frail older adults
• Trigger Room

  This immersive workshop is designed to enhance perspective-taking and teamwork skills, providing caregivers with a deeper understanding of potential environmental triggers and strategies to mitigate them. By increasing knowledge and self-efficacy, participants are empowered to deliver improved client-centered care, leading to potential savings in healthcare costs related to staffing and resources.

  Leveraging 360-degree video and animation technology, the educational content is easily accessible online, allowing learners to engage anytime, anywhere with a reliable internet connection. This innovative learning approach can also be extended to non-traditional partners, such as industrial designers, to highlight the unique challenges and considerations in designing environments for individuals with dementia.

Communication and Teamwork

• Best Practices for Communicating with Older Adults

  This workshop utilizes a blended learning approach to explore the normal aging changes that affect hearing, speech, voice, language, and cognition. Participants will focus on effective strategies to enhance communication with older adults, ensuring better engagement and understanding. By applying these communication techniques, learners will be able to improve customer service interactions and clinical care outcomes, leading to a higher quality of service for the older adult population

• Interprofessional Collaboration and Teamwork

  This workshop emphasizes the key elements essential for effective collaboration. Participants will explore what makes a team truly successful, with a focus on understanding the strengths and roles of each team member. Through interactive team-building exercises, learners gain practical skills in identifying team dynamics, defining roles, and facilitating effective communication within their own teams. The workshop aims to equip participants with the tools needed to foster a cohesive, high-performing team environment.

Educational Consultation & Curriculum Design

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Our Simulation and Virtual Learning team collaborate with you to design tailored scenarios that include comprehensive briefing, engaging activities and in-depth debriefing sessions. Where appropriate we can also create customized “trigger videos” for specific scenarios, serving as valuable educational tools for training staff and team members.  

Train-the-Trainer Capacity Building for Geriatric Care

Our team conducts comprehensive needs assessments and research to gain a clear understanding of your unique requirements. We believe that building capacity is essential for effective learning, ensuring that our materials are practical and knowledge can be easily transferred. In collaboration with partners, we develop detailed toolkits and facilitator guides to support the learning process.

Using a train-the-trainer model, we provide a step-by-step framework for delivering the dementia program. Our experienced facilitators work closely with subject matter experts to ensure content is delivered using best practices. The facilitation guides and toolkits offer structured support, allowing trainers to revisit key materials and strategies as needed for ongoing success.

International Consultation

After extensive consultation and needs assessment with Aspen Tree leadership, Baycrest clinical staff, and Baycrest Global Solutions, the Centre for Education led the development of a comprehensive staff training curriculum in the foundations of dementia care for all clinical, customer-service, and leadership staff at the Aspen Tree residential care center in Thailand. This included developing the program’s key performance outcomes and learning objectives and creating a scaffolded curriculum. The program addressed clinical goals, developing understanding of age-related changes, common health issues in older adults, frailty, cognitive impairment and dementia, and responsive behaviors; effective team function, including teamwork and communication strategies; and facilitation skills, including understanding the role of a facilitator, best practices in adult learning, and strategies for learner engagement.