CEFI - Porto Alegre Family and Individual Study Center

The course “Training Therapeutic Companions to support elderly people” has the general objective of training professionals to act as therapeutic companions for
elderly people. Its program content is organized into 5 classes, covering topics such as: fundamentals of therapeutic support, biopsychosocial aspects of aging, mental health, functional capacity (autonomy and independence), therapeutic bond, communication (between the AT and the elderly and between the elderly and the contemporary world), action in the territory, construction of the unique therapeutic project, work with families, notions about public policies aimed at old age and professional limits.

Population aging poses new challenges to health care and psychosocial care practices. Therapeutic Support (TA) stands out as a clinical and territorial device that favors autonomy, independence, social inclusion and quality of life for elderly people. This course aims to respond to the demand for qualified training of professionals capable of acting in an ethical, critical and interdisciplinary way in the therapeutic monitoring of elderly people.

The program content of the course is organized into 10 classes (1h:30min long) covering topics such as the fundamentals of therapeutic support, biopsychosocial aspects of aging, mental health, functional capacity (autonomy and independence), therapeutic bond, communication (of the AT with the elderly person and of the elderly person with the contemporary world), action in the territory, construction of the unique therapeutic project, work with families, notions about public policies aimed at old age and professional limits. In methodological terms, the course will comprise expository-dialogue classes, case studies, practical and reflective activities, simulations, guided reading and collective discussions.

Integrating theory and practice, the “Training of Therapeutic Companions to support elderly people” differs from other TA training as it is focused on preparing professionals to work in the area of aging. Our proposal combines the specialized experience of the Longevity Center in serving the elderly population, with updated academic knowledge in the area of human development and aging. The course coordinator, Michele Klotz da Rosa, is part of the CEFI Longevity Center. She is a Psychologist, Master in Biomedical Gerontology, PhD student in Psychology, collaborator of the Assessment and Intervention in the Life Cycle Research Group, of the Postgraduate Program in Psychology at PUC-RS and a researcher working in the area of human aging.

goal

General Objective:

Train professionals to act as therapeutic companions for elderly people, contributing to the maintenance of functional capacity and promoting autonomy, independence, dignity, citizenship and social inclusion.

Specific objectives:

Understand the historical, theoretical and ethical foundations of Therapeutic Support;
Analyze aging from a biopsychosocial perspective;
Develop communication and bonding skills with elderly people;
Plan and carry out therapeutic support at home and in the territory;
Articulate the work of AT with families, caregivers and other care networks;
Recognize professional limits, the importance of supervision and self-care.

Methodology

Expository-dialogue classes, case studies, practical and reflective activities, simulations, guided reading and collective discussion.

Differentials

Why take this course?
Considering the rapid aging of the population in Brazil and especially in Rio Grande do Sul, the demand for professionals prepared to work with elderly people and issues related to aging is growing.
Despite this demand, professionals specialized in serving older people are still scarce. Just as childhood and adolescence require a different perspective, the challenges of old age are also diverse and different from those present in adulthood.
Committed to ensuring excellent service to the demands related to aging, the Longevity Center proposes the course “Training Therapeutic Companions to support elderly people”, with the aim of training therapeutic companions who effectively contribute to maintaining the functionality of elderly people, promoting autonomy, independence, dignity, citizenship and inclusion social.

What are the strengths of these classes?
a) the curation of topics that will be covered, selected by professionals with experience and highly trained in serving the elderly.
b) the methodologies used that will prioritize the discussion of cases, interspersed with reflections and exchanges between participants, making the meetings light but intense in terms of learning;
c) the possibility for each participant to expand their professional network. By being trained to work with the demands of the aging process, the graduate becomes
recognized by the Longevity Center as a professional capable of receiving indications as a TA to serve the elderly population.

Why should it be done at CEFI?
What differentiates the proposal of the CEFI Longevity Center from other training courses in Therapeutic Monitoring is the fact that our training is focused on preparing professionals to work in the area of aging. Furthermore, as we are one of the rare places that offer specialized care to the elderly, the teachers are Psychologists, Masters in Biomedical Gerontology and researchers in the area of human aging.
Thus, by combining clinical and academic perspectives, we promote the development of qualified professionals for care sensitive to the needs of elderly people.

Coordination

Michele Klotz da Rosa

Enroll in the course

Target Audience:
Students and professionals in Psychology and related areas (Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Nursing, Physical Education, Gerontology), interested in acting as therapeutic companions with elderly people.
Total workload
15 hours
Period
From July 20th to 24th