Validation Training Institute (VTI)

07/23/2026

Activities are NOT about keeping people busy.

True engagement is really about helping someone feel seen, useful, connected, and valued.

Sometimes a resident who refuses a group activity isn't refusing the activity at all.

They may be refusing the feeling of not belonging.

Validation helps us look beneath the behavior and understand the emotion first.

Our Validation for Activity Professionals course is designed specifically for those who want to create more meaningful engagement experiences.

Practical Validation Training is nteractive training is designed for both professional and non-professional caregivers

07/22/2026

Happy Birthday Naomi Feil!

07/20/2026

Naomi Feil challenged the care industry to move beyond task-based care toward relationship-centered care.

Decades later, her work continues to influence organizations around the world that believe empathy is a clinical and cultural advantage.

As we celebrate her birthday this month, we'll be highlighting stories from organizations putting these principles into practice every day.

07/15/2026

Every caregiver has a moment they'll never forget.

Maybe it was a smile.
A hug.
A breakthrough.
A quiet conversation.

Share a photo that reminds you why this work matters.

07/14/2026

A full calendar does not automatically mean meaningful engagement.

A five-minute Validation conversation may create more joy than a one-hour program.

Activities matter. Music matters. Games matter. AND connection is what gives those activities meaning.

Instead of asking, "What are we doing today?" Let's ask,"How can we help someone feel seen today?"

That's why Validation for Activity Professionals focuses on communication skills that help staff connect with residents before, during, and after activities.

When people feel understood, participation often follows naturally.

Register Now for the September 8th Course!

Practical Validation Training is nteractive training is designed for both professional and non-professional caregivers

06/25/2026

As Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month closes, here's the takeaway:

You don't need a certification to start communicating differently with someone whose brain is changing. You can start today.

- Make eye contact at their level before you speak.
- Match your voice to their emotional state — if they're scared, speak with a scared voice tone.
- When they say something that doesn't match reality, respond to the feeling, not the fact.

These three shifts won't cure anything. But they'll change the next conversation you have. And that conversation matters more than you think.

Ready to keep building? Here's where to go next:

- Self-paced start — Beginning Validation Tutorial: https://vfvalidation.org/course/beginning-validation/
- Practice — 6 Skill Building Blocks: https://vfvalidation.org/product/the-skill-building-blocks-all-6-blocks/
- Work with a Teacher — Validation for Activity Professionals (Sept 8 start): https://vfvalidation.org/product/validation-for-activity-professionals-starting-september-8th/

06/23/2026

Validation started in one nursing home in Cleveland. Today it lives on every inhabited continent.

From Germany to Israel to Japan to the UK — Validation is practiced in care communities, hospitals, and homes around the world. 430 certified teachers. 9,000 certified practitioners. One shared method.

This October, the international community comes together in person: Vienna Symposium 2026.

Learn from Validation practitioners worldwide. Share breakthroughs in practice. Connect with a network of people who believe dignity doesn't have an expiration date.

More details coming soon. For now: save the date.

vfvalidation.org

06/18/2026

Our newsletter is written for the people who actually do the work.

If these posts have been useful, the bi-monthly newsletter goes deeper:

- Practical caregiving tips you can use the same day
- Course announcements before they're public
- Teacher and AVO features from our global community
- Partner spotlights
- Upcoming event dates

Short. Free. Written for people who work with older adults.

Sign up: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/h2k7l7

06/16/2026

One trained caregiver changes a shift. A trained team changes a building.

If you run a memory care unit or nursing floor, you already know: one trained caregiver changes the atmosphere of a shift.

But what happens on their day off?

Residents who were calm become agitated. Behaviors that were met with compassion get met with frustration — or medication. The gains from one relationship don't transfer.

That's why Validation works best as a team skill. When the whole floor shares the same language, the same centering practice, the same way of reading emotion — care becomes consistent. And consistent care measurably reduces behavioral incidents, staff burnout, and family complaints.

Want to explore group training? We offer team packages and Sponsorship Program options for organizations working with limited budgets.

Reach out: [email protected]

06/11/2026

"It enables you to do the job you signed up for."

"I am a carer for my mum, who has been living with dementia for 16 years. One of the hardest, but most amazing things has been learning a new way to communicate and connect with her. That didn't come naturally to me, and no one tells family carers we need to change how we communicate." — Diane Bushell, family caregiver and PhD candidate in dementia care

Diane's takeaway from the Skill Building Blocks course:

"For families, it helps you reconnect with your loved one; for care staff, it enables you to do the job you signed up for."

The 6 Skill Building Blocks — centering, observation, voice tone, mirroring, and more — are self-paced and available to start today.

https://vfvalidation.org/product/the-skill-building-blocks-all-6-blocks/