The ‘I Validate to Connect’ campaign seeks to raise $20,000 to support caregivers and older adults with various forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — After more than 30 years of existence, the Validation Training Institute (VTI) launched its first fundraising and advocacy campaign today in Washington, D.C. at George Washington University. The “I Validate to Connect” campaign (#IValidate2Connect) will run from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 with the goal of raising awareness and $20,000 to support the expansion of the nonprofit’s work.
The organization—founded in 1984 by gerontologist Naomi Feil—promotes the use of the Validation Method, a communication practice developed by Feil that helps improve the connection between caregivers and older adults experiencing dementia. To date, individuals at more than 10,000 dementia care communities in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia practice Validation and more than 88,000 people have attended Validation workshops.
“While Validation is commonly practiced in other regions of the world, we felt it was time to focus our efforts on more deliberately sharing Validation in the U.S.,” said VTI Executive Director Vicki de Klerk-Rubin. “This campaign will help us do that. Caregivers everywhere need tools to best care for the rising number of older adults with dementia, and Validation can help.”
The Alzheimer’s Association estimates that every 66 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s disease. For more information on the campaign, visit vfvalidation.org/ivalidate
About the Validation Training Institute, Inc.
VTI is a United States-based, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1984 by social worker and gerontologist Naomi Feil, one of the originators of ‘person-centered care’ for older adults with various forms of dementia, also known as age-related cognitive decline or disorientation. VTI’s mission is to enrich the lives of older adults experiencing age-related cognitive decline and their caregivers through education and support services. The Validation Method has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and CNN.