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BEI Group Volunteering

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Before your session

Ensure two things

You are not experiencing any cold or flu like symptoms
Make sure that you are dressed appropriately

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What would the sessions look like

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Group Sessions

Sessions conducted in Person and Virtual
The general timeline of the session:

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Last 1-3 minutes

Thank the residents for their time
Tell yourself, and them how amazing they are for doing a great job!

First 5 minutes

Get to know your residents, see if you have similar interests
Treat them like friends and tell them about your day (it will calm the nerves for everyone involved)

30-35 minutes

This is the fun part!
Split the time accordingly

Trivia (10 min)
Math (10 min)
Reading (10 min)

Feel free to add in your own twists

So for our in-person session we have a general timeline that we want to follow. First, get to know your older adults. Remember their names and their favorite activities as you continue to volunteer, and you will see the quality of your experience and theirs will improve drastically. So for the meat of our sessions we split the 30 minutes into 3 sections: trivia, math, and reading. When working with a group you have to figure out what makes the most sense. If it is a smaller group say 3 people, you can easily do the reading activities as you popcorn between the three residents. However, with bigger groups say 15 groups, this is sometimes difficult to accomplish. We always want to strive to stick to Dr. Kawashima’s research and proven methods, but if we cannot with such large groups, try to fill in the time with similar activities. This can include answering more questions out loud (extended trivia) or other fitting activities. Lastly, dismiss yourself by thanking the older adults and really bonding with them. This is your time to get feedback, did they enjoy the session, what would they like to see next time, etc.

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The specific part of each session

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Group Sessions

Printed Out Worksheets

Have the worksheets for the week sent to the facility

Have facilities print it out and distribute it amongst the residents

During Sessions, residents will work on the papers, you will follow along on your computer

PowerPoint Presentations

If you want to show your creativity, you can do this as well!

Follows the same format

Here is an example:___

Just share your screen and verbally work through the slides :)

Alternate Session

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The three ways to conduct sessions

If the residents cannot read the worksheet, or doesn’t have them

Take the time to just chat, and give them company

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Trivia

Consists of Trivia and Questions
This is more than just answering questions
Write First; Answers Second

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Math

Stress time and NOT correctness

Think of it as a race

Beneficial only when done quickly
Always say they are correct!

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Reading

Read Out Loud
Popcorn Reading

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Should Do’s and Shouldn’t Do’s

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TO DO’s

Be Patient!
Radiate Positivity
Never Say “This will help with your Alzheimers” etc.
Allow yourself to have fun with them

Watch youtube videos, listen to music

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When in doubt, be like DWIGHT

- LY POSITIVE

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To Not To Do’s

Have a bland presentation: ______________
Say “This is good for your Alzheimers/Dementia” etc.

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DO

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Common Questions on Sessions &

How to Respond

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COMMON QUESTIONS

Math Section

Comment: “This math is too easy for me! Why do I have to do it?”
Response: “The math is meant to be simple and quick. According to the research, doing these problems as fast as you can has great benefits for our brains!”

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Trivia Section

Comment: “Why do I have the rewrite the question if it’s already there?”
Response: “Rewriting the questions activates the prefrontal cortex of our brains, which is a great for our brain health. So the more writing, the better!”

During your sessions, it is very possible that the participants will ask questions about the structure of brain exercises. One very common concern is that the math section is too easy. It is important to remind them the research shows that doing short, quick math problems is very beneficial for the brain. So it is not so much the difficulty of the problems that matters here, but rather the speed at which the participants complete them at. Another comment they may make is regarding the trivia section. Often times the participants will be confused as to why they must rewrite the trivia question if it is already in the packet. We always want to remind them that the research also shows the value in writing as this exercises the prefrontal cortex of the brain which is wonderful for brain health. You may encounter other comments too about the structure of the brain exercises, but as long as you are well-versed in the research you can give them an informed answer as to why we do the exercises they way we do.

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Thank you!

Feel free to ask questions at this time

Forward additional questions to: brainexerciseinitiative@gmail.com

:)

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Virtual 1 on 1 Sessions

Volunteer Coordinators

They will “coordinate” almost all communication with the facilities.

Regarding: Absences, Resident Cancellations etc.

Sending the Worksheets on time

If you choose printed worksheets. Send the weeks sheets all together, with the days labeled.

Monthly Meetings

This is your time to ask them questions, or vice versa. Work out any errors in communication.

Attending: President, VP and VC’s

Signed Forms

Have an excel sheet with the following forms signed:

HIPAA

Volunteer Training Guide

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