Training Options

Dementia Coaching

My coaching offers dementia awareness, and helps promote staff skills and confidence for any organisation that works with people living with dementia. I will come to your organisation and work alongside staff to provide simple and practical solutions to best support people living with dementia. This includes:

Engaging with the person(s) living with dementia
Talking to staff about their insights and knowledge
Trialing possible practical solutions for the person(s) living with dementia along with staff
Providing staff training and upskilling as required
Producing an on-going support plan for all staff and management to utilise.

This dementia coaching can offer staff new knowledge and practical skills. For example, using Teepa Snow's Hand-Under-Hand® approach to support a person living with dementia during mealtimes, or finding simple solutions to help create a person living with dementia's 'happy place'.

I have witnessed transformative interactions both with people living with dementia and staff. Which I believe offers profound and inspiring moments of change that can have a lasting effect.

Workshops

I deliver in-person and on-line workshops bespoke to any organisation, iwi/hapu provider, health professionals and family/whanau. I am trained in Teepa Snow's Positive Approach to Care®, and I deliver training on a wide range of topics, including the following core workshops:

This workshop discusses what brain changes can occur for someone living with dementia. This aims to provide understanding of how dementia can impact a person's daily life including memory, executive function, language, sensory processing systems and emotions. With this understanding we then learn how we can adapt our physical approach and communication to best support a person living with these brain changes.

Understanding and adapting to brain changes

This workshop discusses what "challenging behaviours" can mean and helps learners to become curious about why someone living with dementia is reacting to a situation. Working out the "why" behind their reactions is key to meeting the individual's needs. This workshop emhpasises the need to adapt our approach and provides practical case scenarios to enable a shift from simply 'dealing with behaviours' to creating a positive and caring environment.

Understanding "challenging behaviours"

This workshop helps learners to understand how dementia can affect communication, which in turn can affect our ability to communicate with people living with dementia. Appreciating these communication barriers means we can then learn how to adapt our communication to best support people living with dementia. Therein lies the magic to providing care with dignity and respect.

Communication and dementia

Training Packages

I deliver in-person and on-line training packages bespoke to any organisation, iwi/hapu provider and health professionals. I offer a wide range of dementia-related topics that are flexible to meet your needs. My training packages start at a minimum of one 2-hour workshop at $598 +GST, and travel costs from Kerikeri.

Examples of training packages:

Full-day of coaching

Pricing starts $1,495.00 +GST, which includes a maximum of 7 hours on-site, training resources and admin. Travel costs from Kerikeri are additional to this.

Full-day workshop

Pricing starts at $1,196 +GST, which includes 6 hours of workshops relevant to your staff needs, and training resources. Travel costs from Kerikeri are additional to this.

I am happy to discuss your preferences and what would suit you best.

Contact Me

What people are saying

Thank you! This was very valuable and gave us lots of insight into how to "rethink" when we interact with someone with dementia.

“Maria showed her knowledge and expertise in dealing with different residents. She is well versed and has inspired me to learn more about dementia”

Maria is a good listener and an excellent coach/mentor.

"Maria possesses a rare combination of clinical expertise and genuine empathy. Her workshops are meticulously researched, highly practical and delivered with a warmth that instantly puts participants at ease. And she breaks down complex neurological concepts into accessible, actionable strategies that empower caregivers to deliver truly person-centered care. Feedback from our attendees is invariably outstanding. Participants frequently highlight Maria’s engaging facilitation style, her ability to create a safe space for open discussion, and the immediate, practical value of her training. Her contribution to Dementia Tai Tokerau has significantly uplifted the standard of care and support across our region."

Trudi Bridges - Chief Executive

Dementia Tai Tokerau

"Maria thoughtfully tailored separate workshops for our clinical care staff and our wider support team, which were exceptionally well received with staff providing overwhelmingly positive feedback. Comments included "Brilliant", "Engaging", "Excellent presentation", "Informative and easy to follow", "Useful tools and strategies around dementia communication" and "Can I be booked again for this workshop?" Maria's engaging presentation style, practical approach and depth of knowledge provided our team with valuable insights and strategies that can be applied immediately in the workplace."

Heather Mac Millian - Staff Development Coordinator

Kerikeri Retirement Village

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