MBDC Program
Testimonials
How did the Presence Care Project’s Mindfulness-Based Dementia Care program impact your care partnering and/or your life?
This course gave me a bundle of new tools (attitudes, tactics, practices) to help me interact more effectively with my spouse and support him better. I implemented some immediately and saw their value first hand. Learning other strategies that I didn’t need yet made me feel more confident and prepared for the future. Perhaps even more important, the course not only preached self-care but showed me how to actually do it better in challenging circumstances.
I think for me there were 3 major outcomes. First, the discovery of other people like me caught in the chaos of Alzheimer’s was an immediate stress reliever. It countered the inherent isolation of the caregiver. Second, it provided a whole set of tools that we could call on; sometimes that made us better caregivers, sometimes it just made us better. Third, the mindfulness meditations improved my health. When I remember to call upon those meditation techniques, it is like finding the eye of a hurricane.
I have so much more compassion for myself and my mother.
The MBDC program gave me tools for engaging in my life, which I could have used earlier in my life, but very helpful in meeting the challenges of being a caregiver. I am grateful for the encouraging words that tell me to take care of myself as well as my partner, to slow down, be in the “now,” to realize at this time I constantly need to “adjust.” It has helped me to recognize the incredible loss I’m experiencing and not run away from it.
Our MBDC class changed my attitude about what an Alzheimer’s diagnosis means for our life together. I’ve moved past some of my denial and fear and toward acceptance and the ability to live day-by-day with gratefulness.
MBDC has completely saved my sanity & wellbeing during my journey with caregiving. MBDC has enriched my life with all relationships in a mindful, loving way, and that includes my relationship to myself! It truly has changed my life in so many wonderful ways!
The course gave me a space to share with a caregiver group and to “self-care.” I Began to learn new mindful practices that I could take with me and use each day.
What would you say to someone who was considering taking the Mindfulness-Based Dementia Care program?
I highly recommend the class – a “don’t pass up” resource. What might it give you? A calmer mind, more understanding of your partner, and a better framework to be a care partner.
Go for it! You do not have to become a champion meditator to get a ton out of this course. It’s practical, supportive, and life-enhancing. Plus, you get to join an ongoing community of like-minded caregivers as a course graduate: a huge boon.
You are on a journey without a map. To be the loving caregiver you want to be, you have to be able to manage your own stress. MBDC class will help you do this. No matter how hard you think caretaking will be, you are under estimating it. You will need all the tools you can get, and MBDC can give you some great ones. You must take care of yourself so that you can accompany your parent/sibling/spouse on their journey.
MBDC was an incredible help for me, gave me wonderful support, and gave me a community that totally understands. The course was very valuable to me.
Taking the MBDC class gave me tools, in fact a whole toolbelt, for coping with ordinary struggles and the inevitable surprises that come with a partner’s dementia. These include attitudes and strategies that support us in being life partners. The class also greatly strengthened my use of mindfulness in taking compassionate care of myself and my partner.
Taking the class was so educational, not only regarding the science and behavioral information on dementia, but also regarding self-awareness and feeling the spirit of a community. The support from Michelle, our grad group, Ana Diaz, and Dr. Rosenbloom was such an incredible experience that I can now say has been a miracle for me! If someone who is caregiving is feeling alone, overwhelmed, powerless, and exhausted, this class is a gift and really makes a difference.
If you are thinking about attending MBDC… TAKE THE CLASS! You won’t regret it. It is life-changing. The tools you will learn and practice will apply to your everyday situations – not just caregiving.
The MBDC class is the beginning of an ongoing life practice and an opportunity to share and unwind with others under compassionate and professional guidance.