COVID-19 Training and Webinars

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Resuming In-Person Visits During COVID-19: Tips for Identifying Trauma, Potential Abuse, and Supporting Residents
COVID-19 Recovery and Reentry Resources: TA Open Dialogue Webinar Series
Ombudsman Program Communication and Advocacy During COVID-19
COVID-19 and Ombudsman Programs: Understanding How Trauma Impacts You, Residents, and Your Advocacy

Resuming In-Person Visits During COVID-19: Tips for Identifying Trauma, Potential Abuse, and Supporting Residents (June 18, 2021)

Webinar Materials

Materials are now available from the webinar Resuming In-Person Visits During COVID-19: Tips for Identifying Trauma, Potential Abuse, and Supporting Residents. In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD), this webinar discussed how to identify and respond to signs of trauma and potential abuse or neglect and support residents as Ombudsman programs resume in-person visits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Laura Mosqueda, a national and international expert on elder abuse and neglect, provided tips for Ombudsman programs conducting in-person visits, such as signs of trauma in response to isolation and loss during the pandemic and potential signs of abuse and neglect. She also shared recommendations for supporting residents and available resources. As an accomplished physician and researcher, Dr. Mosqueda has testified in front of Congress and has been invited to the White House several times to discuss elder justice initiatives. She has taken the lead on landmark studies to identify forensic markers of abuse and neglect and serves as a volunteer representative for the California Long-Term Care Ombudsman program.

Attendees also heard from two Ombudsman program representatives as they shared their experience resuming in-person visits and highlighted what they observed upon reentry, how they supported residents, tips for visits, lessons learned, and successful practices.

Speakers: Dr. Laura Mosqueda, Professor of Family Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California (USC), Keck School of Medicine of USC operates the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA); Karen Jones, Chair, National Association of Local Long-Term Care Ombudsmen (NALLTCO), Executive Director/Program Manager Long-Term Care Ombudsman Services of San Luis Obispo County, California Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program; and Jane Brink, Regional Ombudsman, Minnesota Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, Member of National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care Leadership Council, and NALLTCO Board Member

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COVID-19 Recovery and Reentry Resources: TA Open Dialogue Webinar Series (April 27, May 11, and May 25, 2021)

Session One: Successful Volunteer Recruitment, Training, and Retention During COVID-19
This webinar shared successful volunteer recruitment, training, and retention examples from Oregon and Ohio programs.

Webinar Materials

Speakers: Mary Book, Volunteer Coordinator for the Ohio Area Agency on Aging, District 7; Beverley Laubert, Ohio State Long-Term Care Ombudsman; and Natascha Adams, Volunteer Recruitment Specialist for the Oregon Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman

Session Two: Successful Communication During COVID-19
This webinar shared examples of successful communication between residents, their family members, and the Ombudsman program.

Webinar Materials

Speakers: Patty Ducayet, Texas State Long-Term Care Ombudsman; Shazia Sultan, Manager, Brazos Valley Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, Texas; and Heidi L'Esperance, Regional Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Snohomish County, Washington

Session Three: Successful Complaint Investigation and Resolution During COVID-19
This session explored how Ombudsman programs have successfully advocated with and for residents, despite in-person visitation restrictions and other barriers.

Webinar Materials

Speakers: Amanda Grooms, Buffalo Trace District Ombudsman, Kentucky; Zev Samuels, District (R9) Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Tennessee; Kim Boyd, District 7 Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Tennessee; Melinda Lunday, Middle Tennessee District Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Tennessee; Thomas Kahler, District 2 Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Tennessee; Teka Moten, Tennessee State Long-Term Care Ombudsman

Ombudsman Program Communication and Advocacy During COVID-19 (June 23, 2020)

View the PowerPoint slides as a PDF or PPT.

Materials

In-person visitation restrictions intended to reduce the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) required Ombudsman programs to adapt quickly to ensure residents have access to program services. In-person visits with residents are a core part of Ombudsman program outreach and advocacy and there is no substitute for that connection and experience. However, during this crisis programs must use other means to connect with residents to provide information and respond to complaints. During this webinar presenters shared state and local examples of how to they are communicating with residents to make sure their experiences are heard and concerns are addressed.

Speakers: Carolyn Tenaglia, Northeast Region Ombudsman, Pennsylvania LTCOP; Kim Shetler, Northcentral Region Ombudsman, Pennsylvania LTCOP; Kim Palmore, Managing Local Ombudsman Texas LTCOP, Ark-Tex Council of Governments/Area Agency on Aging; Vicki Elting, Assistant State LTC Ombudsman, Washington State LTC Ombudsman Program; Beverley Laubert, Ohio State Long-Term Care Ombudsman; and Kathleen Heren, Rhode Island State Long-Term Care Ombudsman.

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Four-Part Webinar Series

COVID-19 and Ombudsman Programs: Understanding How Trauma Impacts You, Residents, and Your Advocacy

In partnership with the Colorado Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, Consumer Voice and NORC offered a four-part webinar series regarding the impact of trauma due to the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care residents and Ombudsman programs. The webinar series highlighted important themes related to trauma-informed care, person-centered care, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma. The series included case studies, self-reflection activities and exercises, and materials for attendees.

Read Dr. Sheri Gibson's bio

The presenter, Dr. Sheri Gibson, received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Geropsychology from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS). She is an instructor and clinical supervisor for the Psychology Department at UCCS and a faculty affiliate with the UCCS Gerontology Center. Dr. Gibson serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, is a member of the Research Committee for the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA), and a member of the Pikes Peak Elder Abuse Coalition. She has been recognized for her trainings on person-centered and trauma informed care approaches with older adults among professional programs such as Adult Protective Services, Area Agencies on Aging, long term care facilities, and community outreach Veteran services.

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Part I: April 29, 2020

View the slides as a PDF or PowerPoint with presenter notes.

This webinar addressed person-centered, trauma-informed care. Highlights included:

What "person-centered care" and "trauma-informed" care means.
Why person-centered care and trauma-informed care is critical in a crisis.
The impact that re-traumatizing events can have on a trauma survivor, including residents, facility staff, and Ombudsman program representatives.
How to recognize and respond to the effects of all types of trauma.
The bio-psycho-social components of trauma-informed care to support survivors in rebuilding a sense of control and empowerment.

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Part II: May 20, 2020

View the slides as a PDF or PowerPoint with presenter notes.

Materials

This webinar addressed compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma to help attendees:

Understand the differences between sympathy, empathy, and compassion.
Understand the unique symptoms associated with and contributing factors leading to burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma.
Recognize symptoms of compassion fatigue at the individual and organizational level and being able to identify negative outcomes if left untreated.
Increase competency in implementing resilience strategies – at the individual level as well as the organizational level – to enhance self-awareness and prevent onset or worsening of symptoms.

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Part III: June 17, 2020

View the slides as a PDF or PowerPoint with presenter notes.

Materials

This webinar addressed anxiety related to COVID-19, coping mechanisms, and tools for you and to help others. Dr. Gibson discussed coping strategies in response to COVID-19 related anxiety to assist Ombudsman programs and the residents you serve. She also highlighted two tools, a COVID-19 anxiety scale, and a coping tool that provides simple, practical steps to recognize and address anxiety.

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Part IV: July 29, 2020

View the slides as a PDF or PowerPoint with presenter notes.

Additional Materials and Information Discussed During the Webinar:

NORC Issue Page on Mental Health/Mental Illness
Advocating for Residents with Mental Health Needs: What to do When a Resident Threatens to Harm Themselves (December 2018)
Illinois LTCOP Response When Residents Threaten Suicide

This webinar addressed understanding and coping with grief during COVID-19.

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Non-LTCOP Training

In partnership with Dr. Sheri Gibson (see bio below), NORC published this free four-part series for three audiences (family members of individuals living in long-term care facilities, facility administrators, and direct care staff). In the series, Dr. Gibson provides training on the following topics: person-centered care, trauma-informed care, compassion fatigue, and anxiety and grief in a time of COVID-19. Each topic will include one webinar recording and slides for each audience.

Jump to training on:

Person-Centered Care for Administrators | Staff | Families

Trauma-Informed Care for Administrators | Staff | Families

Compassion Fatigue for Administrators | Staff | Families

Anxiety and Grief in a Time of COVID-19 for Administrators | Staff | Families

Take the On-Demand Training Course with Quiz Questions and Answers.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been millions of positive COVID-19 cases and hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 related deaths in our country. Although we are all impacted by the pandemic, individuals living in long-term care facilities are particularly vulnerable to the disease and their daily lives and access to loved ones has been impacted significantly reinforcing the need for person-centered care.

This training will emphasize the importance of providing person-centered care as a vital component to ensuring care recipients are involved in and respected for their individual differences. Placing people at the center of their care has multiple benefits including improving the quality of services provided, helping people obtain the care they need when they need it, empowering people to be more active in their care, and reducing some of the pressures experienced by those working in long term care communities as well as families supporting their loved ones residing in long term care.

Learning Objectives for Person-Centered Care Training

Understand what “person-centered care” means.
Understand why person-centered care critical in providing services in assisted living communities.
Learn how person-centered care can improve service quality.
Learn new tools for the provision of person-centered care.

A Primer for Administrators

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A Primer for Direct Care Staff

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A Primer for Families

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The psychological effects of long-term isolation on both residents and families are largely unknown at this time as our nation remains in the grips of a global pandemic. However, when armed with education and resources, communities and people are empowered toward collective resilience. This training will emphasize the importance of understanding the prevalence of trauma and the effects that trauma can have on an individual’s mental health, physical, social, and spiritual well-being so as to provide care that is sensitive to individual values while resisting the re-traumatization of vulnerable persons.

Learning Objectives for Trauma-Informed Care Training

Understand what “trauma-informed” care means.
Understand why trauma-informed care is important in long term care communities.
Learn how trauma-informed care can improve service quality.
Understand the impact that re-traumatizing events can have on a trauma survivor.
Increase competency in recognizing and responding to the effects of all types of trauma.
Appreciate the bio-psycho-social components of trauma-informed care to support survivors in rebuilding a sense of control and empowerment.

A Primer for Administrators

View the slides as a PDF or PPT.

A Primer for Direct Care Staff

View the slides as a PDF or PPT.

A Primer for Families

View the slides as a PDF or PPT.

The current global pandemic has demanded a lot of our humanity. Our minds, hearts, and spirits are unavoidably challenged by the daily news feeds of rising deaths, human grief, and suffering. If we do not attend to ourselves compassionately (as we often do towards others), we are at risk of the erosion of our personal wellbeing. This training will focus on educating attendees on the distinct differences between sympathy, empathy, and compassion; as well as the differences between compassion fatigue, burnout, and vicarious trauma. Attendees will learn to identify the external and internal factors that increase one’s risk for compassion fatigue and the common associated warning signs. Attendees will have access to formal measures used to assess compassion fatigue and effective strategies will be shared to prevent the onset or worsening of symptoms.

Learning Objectives for Compassion Fatigue Training

Understand the differences between sympathy, empathy, and compassion.
Understand the unique symptoms associated with and contributing factors leading to burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma.
Recognize symptoms of compassion fatigue at the individual and organizational level and be able to identify negative outcomes if left untreated.
Increase competency in implementing resilience strategies – at the individual level as well as the organizational level – to enhance self-awareness and prevent onset or worsening of symptoms.

A Primer for Administrators

View the slides as a PDF or PPT.

A Primer for Direct Care Staff

View the slides as a PDF or PPT.

A Primer for Families

View the slides as a PDF or PPT.

The current global pandemic can affect us in many different ways: physically, socially, and psychologically. We are dealing with the very real challenges associated with widespread serious illness and the inabilities of healthcare systems to cope with it. The social and community disruptions, economic fallout, and financial problems facing American families have resulted in obstacles and interruptions to many aspects of life. Additionally, the pandemic has resulted in enormous loss of life in the United States. The collateral damage that this level of mortality could exact on American families cannot be overlooked. This training will provide education about anxiety and grief, and will provide effective tools to assist in improving well-being.

Learning Objectives for Anxiety and Grief Training:

Understand the role of stress in the development of anxiety.
Gain knowledge about the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) and be able to identify the key symptoms associated with COVID-specific anxiety.
Learn the FACE COVID acronym as a tool to develop practical steps for responding effectively to COVID-specific anxiety.
Be able to distinguish between “normal” and “prolonged” grief.
Gain knowledge about important resources to help address grief response.

A Primer for Administrators

View the slides as a PDF or PPT.

A Primer for Direct Care Staff

View the slides as a PDF or PPT.

A Primer for Families

View the slides as a PDF or PPT.

SHERI GIBSON, PhD.

Dr. Gibson received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Geropsychology from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS). She is an instructor for the Psychology Department at UCCS and a faculty affiliate with the UCCS Gerontology Center. Dr. Gibson serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, is Chair of the Colorado Coalition for Elder Rights and Abuse Prevention (CCERAP), a member of the Research Committee for the National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA), and board member for the Colorado Culture Change Coalition. In addition to being an advocate for elder justice, Dr. Gibson has a private psychotherapy and consultation practice, which includes provision of capacity evaluations, expert testimony, consultation, and training.