Our Services
Shifting the Culture of Dementia Care
As a speech-language pathologist, I’ve long believed that all behavior is communication! This is especially true when the parts of the brain responsible for language processing and expression are changing and dying.
At Rooted in Care Consulting, my goal is to transform the current approach to dementia care toward a deeper understanding of the changes happening in the brain, exploring who the person living with brain change or dementia is. What’s their story? What was and is important to them? What is their environment like? How are care partners interacting with and/or responding to them?
By asking these questions, we begin to see that what we often label as “challenging behaviors” is actually a person in distress; an expression of unmet needs. We just have to be open to getting curious. As Teepa Snow says, “Turn those ‘uh-oh’s’ into ‘ah-ha’s!’” If we can get curious about the unmet need and make some changes to meet it, things can shift.
What might this look like? Well, how would you want to be treated if you were living with dementia? What would you want your care partners to understand about you as a person?
Perhaps you were a lifelong runner, and what some now label as “elopement” or “exit seeking” is actually your body remembering that every day at 4 p.m., you went out for a run. Or maybe the “banging” on furniture with a fork isn’t agitation, but an echo of your years working as a housekeeper- tidying and cleaning, as you always did. Your brain remembers this movement, even if it doesn’t recognize that you are using a fork and not a duster.
Something to try: Next time someone you are supporting appears to be in distress when being undressed, pause, get curious, and step into the “ah-ha” that this is not an act of aggression. It may be the result of changes in visual field and auditory processing, which means they don’t see your hand approaching or hear the words you are saying. You’ve taken them by surprise. And truly, who among us wants to be touched without warning?
These shifts in understanding aren’t just about improving care they’re about restoring dignity, deepening empathy, and transforming relationships with those living with dementia.
This is what makes our services different.
Consulting Services
Practical Guidance for Meaningful Care Partnerships
My consulting sessions are designed to help you address specific challenges while strengthening relationships and trust. Together, we explore the unique needs of each individual by asking the questions that matter: Who are they as a person? What is their story? What is important to them? How does their environment support or hinder connection? How are care partners interacting with and responding to them? How are they spending their time?
By approaching care this way, we begin to see behaviors not as “challenging” but as communication; a person expressing unmet needs. You’ll leave each session with practical strategies to reduce distress, enhance understanding, and foster a deeper sense of partnership.
30-Minute Initial Complimentary Consulting Session
$0
In this 30-minute complimentary Zoom consulting session, I will gather information and collaborate with you to explore potential strategies, drawing on my training and expertise as a PAC™ Certified Independent Consultant. This initial session is designed to lay a strong foundation for future work, should you choose to continue.
1 Hour Consulting Session
$95
In this 1-hour consulting session (via Zoom or in your home or community), I will gather information and collaborate with you to explore potential strategies, drawing on my training and expertise as a PAC™ Certified Independent Consultant. Together, we will work to uncover the root causes of current challenges, whether related to care, communication, activities of daily living, or other concerns.
Our focus will be on identifying the most pressing need, brainstorming adaptable solutions, and setting one to two clear, actionable goals for implementation per session. If multiple areas of concern arise, we can schedule follow-up consulting sessions to address them in the same structured and supportive manner.
As a PAC™ Certified Independent Consultant, I have access to a variety of tools developed by Teepa Snow to guide this process, including:
6 Pieces of the Puzzle
GEMS®
5 P’s
PIPES
These resources allow for a comprehensive and person-centered approach to understanding and improving care dynamics.
5 Session Consulting Package
$400
This package is the most cost-effective option for ongoing support and guidance. If you're navigating multiple situations or challenges, this may be the ideal choice. Since each session typically focuses on one to two actionable goals, multiple sessions are recommended to ensure thorough, focused progress across all areas of concern.
Retainer-Based Dementia Care Consulting
This option is ideal for care homes, memory care units, and adult day centers that benefit from ongoing support. With a monthly retainer, your team gains consistent access to consulting and guidance as needed. This helps staff and families feel supported, strengthens care practices, and enhances quality of life for those living with dementia.
Contact for pricing.
Training Workshops
Building Skills for Compassionate, Person-Focused, Relationship-Centered Care
These trainings follow PAC™ established curriculum and provide structured, evidence-based strategies for families, community members and care teams. They are more than strategies; they’re an invitation to shift perspective. By understanding that behavior is communication, care partners can move from reacting to responding through curiosity about the “why,” seeing the person, not a behavior to be managed, and applying these skills in ways that restore dignity and strengthen connection and relationship.
Workshop A: Normal Aging vs. Not Normal Aging
$60/person
This workshop helps learners understand and recognize the differences in normal and not normal aging. The learner will develop better observational skills to recognize and intervene effectively when behavioral challenges occur. Learners will also develop new skills related to approach, cueing, and the ability to connect with people affected by dementia. The workshop will also address typical changes that happen in the early, middle, and late stages of the condition including the final care concerns.
Workshop Objectives:
· Compare and contrast normal aging versus not normal aging related to various cognitive functions.
· Describe the five sensory input and processing systems, highlighting the dominant role of vision, and the major differences between protective and discriminating sensation in each.
· Discuss the impact of changing sensory awareness and processing as dementia progresses.
This is a 2-hour workshop
Workshop B: Positive Physical Approach™ & Hand-under-Hand®
$60/person
This workshop helps learners understand how to adapt how we interact when the other person’s brain is changing. This workshop will include explanations of how the brain is changing when someone is living with dementia and what care partners can do to be supportive. Learners will practice the use of Positive Physical Approach™(PPA) and Hand-under-Hand®, developed by Teepa Snow. Both techniques are based in building relationships and doing with people instead of to people.
Workshop Objectives:
· Describe changes in visual processing
· Compare and contrast traditional social greeting and communication efforts with PPA as it relates to reactions and responses from the person living with dementia.
· Demonstrate PPA in simulated situations
· Describe the purpose and value of using the Hand-under-Hand® technique with people living with dementia.
· Demonstrate Hand-under-Hand® to promote mobility and assistance with ADLs.
This is a 2-hour workshop
Workshop C: Seeing GEMS®, Not Just Loss
$60/person
This workshop helps learners understand the GEMS® Model developed by Teepa Snow. This model is based on the Allen cognitive scale and focuses on what is retained for people living with dementia instead of only focusing on what is lost. In identifying retained skills and abilities, learners will be able to provide the right level of support and assistance in care with people in different ability states. By understanding GEMS States, we can learn to provide the best care and setting so that everyone can shine.
Workshop Objectives:
· Discuss the value and importance of seeing people living with dementia as having retained abilities, value, and benefiting from the right support and care to optimize performance and quality of life
· Identify six GEMS States – highlighting retained abilities for each GEMS State
· Compare and contrast 6 states of cognitive function and ability as GEMS States
· Practice ways to help the person being cared for feel productive and valued
This is a 2-hour workshop
Workshop A, B, & C
$120/person
This is the most cost-effective option, combining all three workshops into a single, full-day learning experience. By choosing this format, participants may also be eligible to submit for Continuing Education Units (CEUs), depending on their profession.
The full-day workshop includes six hours of content and interactive learning, with scheduled breaks between each session and a dedicated lunch break to support engagement and focus throughout the day.
Have a staff of 15 or more? Contact for rates for larger groups.
Positive Approach® Care Partner Support Series – Five Sessions to Change
$75/person for the full 5-weeks
The Positive Approach® Care Partner Support Series – Five Sessions to Change, is meant for: professionals, family care partners, and those living with brain change or a dementia. The series is designed not only to support, but to educate. It can take place virtually or in-person (for those living in the Charlotte, NC area).
Over the course of the 5-week series, using a series of Teepa Snow videos, we study the brain as a source of answers for the often challenging situations of dementia. The knowledge is applied to practical, positive approaches to support such as: understanding changes to the sensory system, learning PAC™ techniques like Hand-under-Hand®, Positive Physical Approach™, and the GEMS® model to enhance how you live with, or care for those living with brain change or a dementia.
Interested in participating in or hosting this series in your community? Reach out!
Next Session: Nov. 12th-Dec. 17th
Upcoming events
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Positive Approach® Care Partner Support Series- Five Sessions to Change
Wednesdays: 12:00PM-1:30PM
November 12-December 17 (*no session 11/26 due to the Thanksgiving holiday)
LOCATION:
FirstLight Home Care, Charlotte 219 Greenwich Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211
Over the course of the 5-week series, using a series of Teepa Snow videos, we study the brain as a source of answers for the often challenging situations of dementia. The knowledge is applied to practical, positive approaches to support such as: understanding changes to the sensory system, learning PAC techniques like Hand-under-Hand®, Positive Physical Approach™, and the GEMS® model to enhance how you live with, or care for those living with brain change or a dementia.
Enrollment is $75 and includes all 5 sessions
10 PERSON LIMIT
Not seeing what you need?
Sometimes, a one-size-fits-all approach isn’t enough. I collaborate with you to create programs that reflect your unique environment, goals, and the individuals you support. Each plan is grounded in care-partnering principles: seeing behaviors as communication, getting curious about unmet needs, and responding in ways that foster trust, connection, and dignity. Schedule a call to discuss your needs.
I also offer additional programs that apply PAC™-informed skills in other ways. Explore these offerings on our Additional Services page.
PAC disclaimer: PAC Certified Independent Trainers, Consultants, and Advanced Consultants are not employees of Positive Approach, LLC. The opinions and views expressed by PAC Certified Independent Trainers and Consultants do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of Positive Approach, LLC or any of its employees. Positive Approach, LLC is not liable for any actions by PAC Certified Independent Trainers and Consultants.Educational content provided by Positive Approach to Care® is used with permission and based on the GEMS® and the techniques, strategies, and overall approach to care created and developed by Positive Approach, LLC. www.teepasnow.com
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