AVO FEATURE
Vincore is a cooperative with experience in supporting older people, especially those living with dementia, from a humanistic and person-centered perspective. Our experience is based on practice, from direct care to teaching and theory. We are specialists and are certified by the Validation Training Institute in Naomi Feil’s Validation Method, Pam Schweitzer’s Reminiscence Technique, the Person-Centered Care Paradigm based on the work of Tom Kitwood and Dawn Brooker, and Dementia Care Mapping by Observandi. We collaborate and establish synergies with specialized European associations and entities (Validation Training Institute, European Reminiscence Network) that allow us to share knowledge and innovation.
Our training courses specialize in the Validation Method (introductory course, accreditation as an expert in the Validation Method), the Reminiscence Technique (introductory course, European certification in Remembering Yesterday, Caring Today), the ACP Paradigm (introductory course, knowledge capsules tailored to the needs of organizations, support and advice on implementation), and Self-Care (theoretical and practical courses to raise awareness of self-care in order to care for others).
We offer training that transforms teams’ perspectives with practical tools for daily practice and guarantees ongoing training and reflection. That is why we prioritize safe spaces where experiential dynamics can be carried out, and experiences can be shared. We make the tools we know available to accompany older people, professional teams, and families. We offer support to teams, tailored to their needs, during and after training.
Vincore’s goal as an AVO is to promote the Validation Method through our training activities, taking into account the rigor and warmth of our outreach activities and sharing with like-minded organizations our vision of accompanying and communicating with older people.
Our future projects as an AVO focus on providing second- and third-level Validation training, as well as offering training and support to family members and volunteers who accompany disoriented people.
JAVIER IRUJO
I am a social worker, and since finishing my university studies, I have been involved in caring for the elderly. I have worked in various nursing homes, as well as accompanying LGBTQ+ elderly people and managing volunteers to combat unwanted loneliness. Over the years, I have also been able to work in other areas such as disability, childhood, health, sexuality, homelessness, etc.
I learned about the Validation Method in 2014, and began Level 1 Validation training. Since 2017, after spending a few months in France observing how the Method was applied in residential centers, I have been a certified trainer of the Validation Method. Since then, I have been giving both introductory and Level 1 training courses in France and Spain. In addition to training in the Validation Method, I had the opportunity to learn from my colleagues Duna and Raül how to accompany older people through Reminiscence. Later, I also trained in Dementia Care Mapping. Currently, in collaboration with my colleagues at AVO, I accompany both teams working with older adults who are disoriented and their families.
ANABEL QUIROGA
I studied physical therapy and worked for years in centers for the elderly. I had the opportunity to manage a nursing home where I implemented the Person-Centered Care paradigm. I completed a master’s degree in Applied Social Gerontology and training in Dementia Care Mapping. Validation came into my life in 2014, thanks to Kathia Munsch, and it’s been there ever since. The process of becoming a teacher took place in France, Switzerland, and Barcelona. I combined this training with managing the nursing home, which allowed me to put the knowledge I had acquired into practice. I have very fond memories of the Validation group, which met weekly and served as an escape from office hours and a way to connect with what is really important: relationships with older people. I have specialized in spiritual accompaniment in the dying process, which I am passionate about and which helps me to work on my presence and availability.
RAÜL VILAR
I began my journey working with older people after finishing my training as a social educator and had the opportunity to take part in reminiscence therapy projects. I learned that unconditional recognition of older people’s life stories is the basis of accompaniment. By facilitating and managing spaces and centers for older people, I learned the power of active aging and the importance of valuing each stage of life. As the person in charge of volunteering against loneliness among older people, I learned not to judge how older people deal with aging. Through training, reading, and listening to teachers and students about different techniques and methods for focused and respectful care, I learned that learning spaces have the power to change everything.
My training in Validation began in 2014 and progressed through all levels until I earned my trainer’s certificate. I have given presentations, training sessions, and courses alongside my partners at Vincore, from whom I learn every day.
DUNA ULSAMER:
I have been a social worker since 2010 and continued my studies by completing a master’s degree in psychopedagogy and a postgraduate degree in theater therapy. I am also certified in Reminiscence and Dementia Care Mapping. Between 2014 and 2021, I learned about the Validation Method, which placed me in a new paradigm of reflection and learning.
In 2021, we formalized the Vincore Cooperative together with Anabel, Javi, and Raül. Since then, I have taught Level 1 and basic training courses in the Validation Method. All the tools I have learned give me a global, person-centered perspective that helps me combine my teaching skills to better support professional teams, families, and older adults living with dementia.