Prague January 2013 – September 2014

1. Learning by doing approach to apprentices´ training in Czech RepublicRYCTT Project of the European Reminiscence Network Prague January 2013 – September 2014

2. Apprenticesinvolved in RYCTT trainingprogramme • 11 apprenticesgraduated in January 2014 • 9 graduated in September 2014 1 psychologist and editor (Ondřej) 3 studentsof psychology (Anička, Karolína, Miška) 1 physician (working as a socialworker) (Kateřina) 3 nurses (Kvetoslava, Katka, Kateřina) 7 social workers (2 of them on maternity leave) – Alena, Jana, Tereza, Miriam, Pavlína, Anna, Renáta 2 activationworkers ( Marie, Klára) 1 teacher (Hanka) 1 artist (Božena) 1 occupationaltherapist (Jana) 13 university education (bc.ormgr.), 3 studentsof university

9. Katka – a nurse Training in session leading Playing a role

18. Structureofoneyearapprentices´training • Standard two-daystraining • One-day workshop for all apprentices just before a new RYCT group– goal setting for apprentices, for family caregivers and for people with dementia • Activeparticipation in 10 sessions • Workwithown reminiscence group • Presentationofwrittentheses and independent reminiscence workoftheapprentices

19. Learning by doing phase of training Active participation in 10 RYCT sessions in several roles aiming to new competences and skills of an RYCT reminiscence assistant: • Workingwithpeoplewithdementia and theircarergivers – individualresponsibility to provide support to families - familyassistant • Takingresponsibilityforpreparing and leadingoneofthesessions (in couplesofapprentices) - facilitator and coordinator • Reflectingsessions in a groupofapprentices and teachers - feedback provider • Organizing and leadinga new independent reminiscence group (usually in a smallgroupof 2 – 3 apprentices) – managerand coordinator • Presentingtheirwork(writtentheses, participationatworkshops and conferences – lecturer) • Evaluatingtheproject - answeringstructuredquestion in a finalself-assessingquestionnaire(feedback provider).

20. Goals of apprentices • to learnhow to create a realcontact and communicationwith a person withdementia, • to train in reminiscence techniques and how to use them, • to learnhow to facilitate a reminiscence session, • to learncreativeworkwith reminiscence, • to use art, music, dance and drama, • to discoverwhatfamiliescanlearn and use in the care forthe person withdementia, • to learncooperation in teams, and • to observe and understand own functioning in the situation of group reminiscence.

21. Principlerulesdefined by theapprentices • To createsufficientspaceforpeoplewithdementia - to express theirneeds – enoughtimeatthebeginning and afterthe reminiscence sessions. • To respectmutuallyeachother´sroles (leadersofthegroup session, familyassistants, observers) and to helpeachother • To be active and stimulate the memories with the awareness that the families and specially the people with dementia are the most important – to apply the person centred approach • To provide feedback to each other • Not to forgetthespecificneedsofpeoplewithdementia, to givethem much support (listening, time, space, communication) • To communicate these attitudes to thefamilycaregivers and to involvethefamily

22. Evaluation by the apprentices – what did they most appreciate? • perfect programme preparation and the work of coordinators • experience of work with people with dementia • atmosphere of sessions, relations between people • experience with leading a group • learning how to use creative techniques

23. What problems were mentioned? • lackof reminiscence dimension in somecreativeactivities, • divisionofroles in a pair ofcoordinators, (cooperationstagnatedduringpreparationand leadingofsomesessions - disbalancebetweencoordinators - „I was feeling ratherdisplaced“) • communicationloudly and clearly • receivinginitiativesofpeoplewithdementia and „translating“ theirwordsforotherparticipantsofthe session, • understandingthegoalofthe session, • spacearrangement, • proportion of speaking, video presentation, singing and doing something with the hands. The principle focus of all the evaluations, done after the sessions, were the people with dementia.

25. Some other difficulties • „I still have feeling that I am able to listen, but I have a problem asking questions that stimulate memories and are understantable to a person with dementia.“ • „It is difficult to communicate with the whole family, to divide my attention between a person with dementia and a member of the family (communication in threes is tricky)“

26. Practical results • Presenting at conferences • Teaching students • Lecturing courses • Applying skills at work with older people (in care homes) • Collaboration with a school in an intergenerational reminiscence project

28. Goodbye!