Elderwise

Description

The Teaching Program has three areas of focus. Our Professional Development Program is designed to share the Elderwise philosophy, and practical application of that philosophy, with others who work with older adults. Our monthly Conscious Aging Workshops are intended for those in their middle and older years interested in personal development and in enriching their work with older adults. Our Internship Program educates students in our philosophy and mission. Elderwise has developed a curriculum with twenty teaching modules created from the Elderwise philosophy for educational workshops. The modules are based on the four pillars of Elderwise (described under Philosophy on our homepage) as well as our experience in our Adult Day Enrichment Center. We have taught programs for professional and family caregivers, continuing education for social workers, educational programs for activities directors, staff development in retirement communities and personal development for persons interested in their own aging. We are excited to be advocates in the general movement towards valuing our elders and raising the consciousness of those working with them. We seek opportunities to engage with others in this work. "This workshop got me brainstorming for new ways to experience the senses with our clients. I will be able to return to work invigorated and full of new ideas." Professional caregiver attending WADSA sponsored workshop Adults in the second half of life are rejecting "busy-ness" and striving toward an intentionally active lifestyle. They are seeking meaning in their work, their volunteer projects, their relationships, and their communities. They are also more open than previous generations to contemplation and reflections and to designing the future they would like to live. Over a decade ago, Rabbi Zalman Schacter-Shalomi's ground-breaking book From Age-ing to Sage-ing set a new paradigm for those who will become elders in the coming decades. This book inspired the non-denominational Spiritual Eldering ® curriculum and resulted in the emergence of the conscious aging movement. The essence of this new model of aging is that in order to take their places as elders, older adults need to harvest their life experiences, glean wisdom from their lives, and reflect on the learning they have done. They need to do the inner work that includes forgiveness of self and other, facing their mortality, and setting goals for themselves to continue to grow and develop as they age. Elderwise believes that the world needs more elders. To this end, we have created a series of monthly workshops for people in the second half of their life to engage in the work of conscious aging as they move toward elderhood. The outcome of this learning is different for each participant. For some, it leads them to deepen their personal or spiritual growth. For others, it encourages them to become more actively engaged in leadership, activism, and mentoring. As we become a community of elders in training, we can support each other and hold each other accountable for the goals we've set for ourselves.

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