On the Cutting Edge of Caregiving
Videocaregiving.org is a website from Terra Nova Films dedicated to “streaming” visual educational material to family caregivers. There are many informative caregiving websites: what makes this site unique is its almost exclusive use of video in focusing on the challenges faced by the caregiver.
The videos are designed to be short, simple and direct, and are able to be accessed easily by the user at any hour of the day or night. Many of the videos follow a documentary format that uses real people and follows real situations.
When you hear somebody with early stage Alzheimer’s Disease describe their embarrassment and humiliation over being confused and not able to find their way home, you know that you are seeing a story told from the heart-a story that you can identify with and that may help you to better understand a situation that you, yourself, might be dealing with.
The video material is able to turn words into pictures and scenes that can illustrate appropriate caregiving techniques and, in a sense, assure the user that he or she is not alone in this often lonely, difficult and stressful situation.
Why this video site?
Because “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and you don’t have time to read a book for every telling image this series provides. About 80% of us are visual learners – we learn by seeing and absorbing.
I like the Videocaregiving website because: There are a wide variety of subjects, The video clips are short and to the point, The visual presentations are more effective than lecturing or offering examples, It’s powerful to have the perspective of the person with the diagnosis reminding others what they are experiencing, It’s applicable to both family caregivers, as well as, volunteer visitors.
Beth Haas, Education Coordinator
Alzheimer Society of Oxford County, Canada
This series provides a quick and easy way – using real people in real situations – to gain insights and ideas for more effective and more relaxed caregiving. It also provides the latest wisdom about what makes for quality care. We hope you enjoy this process of learning, and we also hope that you will be able to apply what you learn to your own caregiving situation.
Here’s hoping this series will help you see with new eyes.