Programs that RE-empower
Programs that RE-empower
NAT for Becoming Seniors, because peer-to-peer works!
Baby Boomers as a Demographic
Baby Boomers stand out as one of the most influential demographics in history! They shaped the pre-COVID work landscape we navigate today, championed civil rights, and are the offspring of the Silent Generation. Boomers shattered the silence through their exuberant participation in Beatlemania, embraced freedom at Woodstock, and experienced the exhilarating hope that accompanied the moon landing!
The healthcare system can be disempowering. In 2024 there are waiting lists in Long Term Care and a caregiver crisis. The Boomers entering this for-profit system is just the tip of the iceberg.
There is a financial impact on healthcare systems when patients are not actively involved in decision making and transitions. Client anxiety arising from misunderstandings of diagnoses, transitional trauma, and feelings of victimization can place added pressure on healthcare workers. NAT is a tool that aims to address these issues and alleviate stressors on healthcare organizations, caregivers, and patients.
NAT, as a peer-to-peer model, fosters change-readiness among seniors stepping into the next chapter of their lives. Through an anti-ageist perspective, we affirm that the U-curve of life is genuine, suggesting that later life stages can be abundant with joy and significance. For instance, the University of Denver leads an innovative program encouraging Boomers to RE-imagine RE-tirement. Discovering purpose beyond work represents an active phase of personal evolution. What if retirees channeled their experiences to assist their peers in navigating their own transitions?
LeadingAge projects a significant increase in the need for social workers by 2050. ReM(i)’s conclusion is that it only makes sense to share therapeutic techniques with the people who need them in an attempt to accommodate the demand and streamline the emotional workload in a trauma informed way.
The convergence of caregiver burnout, an aging population, and staffing ratio requirements will have financial implications for healthcare institutions. ReM(i)'s research suggests that the RE-empowerment model of NAT could help alleviate some of the emotional burden on caregivers, and subsequently the healthcare system as a whole.
Why Not RE-empower
From the widely recognized model of Alcoholics Anonymous to innovative initiatives like The National Council on Aging’s Aging Mastery Program and Professor Dixon Chibanda’s Friendship Bench, evidence demonstrates that empowering everyday individuals with essential tools can be highly effective. At its core, the care industry thrives on the principle of people supporting one another.
Peer-to-Peer Works
A peer-to-peer model:
RE-empowers and increases joy through service of others
Enhances life purpose and meaning
Increases community support people & networks
Reduces stigma around therapeutic interventions
Participating in a program at a senior center with friends carries less stigma than seeking assistance within a therapeutic system. Additionally, we learn best through hands-on experiences, and these moments become more memorable when we engage in joy!
The recreation service model in healthcare often treats older adults in a condescending manner, leading to feelings of depression and emptiness once activities conclude. When individuals are merely programmed for participation instead of being actively engaged in their lives, they struggle to find fulfillment. True happiness cannot be bestowed by another; it stems from one's internal locus of control. At ReM(i), we empower our clients to take charge of their decision-making and overall wellbeing, providing the necessary tools to foster personal engagement and promote the (i)ndividual's journey.
NAT relieves the stresses recreation professionals face with finding entertainment that will engage a client with a higher level of education, years of travel and experience, and life under their belt. With care there is the unspoken task of making the client feel happy. This task is a daunting and insurmountable one. Happiness and wellbeing come from within and, and this is a big AND, many times older adults are facing unseen stressors. The trauma of forcing an elder to make changes, either by the family or a change of medical status, compounds the issue.
Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) can use NAT as a peer-to-peer model prior to a client move-in when there's initial interest from a family. This will engage ALF resident in purpose through supporting others, assist the prospect in making a connection or new friend prior to the move-in, and take the infantilization out of the equation. The NAT program will support the client’s emotional engagement with their new community and embark on the journey with autonomy. When older adults are forced to make a change in living situation due to family pressures or a change of health status, they can become more attached to the past by speaking about a home they do not live in, a car that they do not drive or a career that is obsolete. Non-Attachment Therapy with material objects helps heal the emotional relationship to a life lived prior to the present-tense.
NAT can help people in the throes of change to achieve happiness and subjective wellbeing. Objects acquired throughout adulthood hold emotional, spiritual and historical significance. When a client says that their children sold their home it speaks to victimization and larger issues that necessitate the help of a compassionate Certified NAT Practitioner.
ReM(i) is pleased to partner with the Mayerson JCC of Cincinnati in collaboration with Dr. Rhonna Shatz of the University of Cincinnati to launch this innovative program. Through a generous grant from the Jewish Home of Cincinnati we are able to innovate and take this RE-empowerment tool to the people who need it! Jewish Cincinnati believes that client autonomy matters, and that programming can enhance awe and meaning! This partnership was brought about by Michelle Kirshner of The CSPN. Please view the Precision Supportive Care page for more on our cancer intervention collaboration.
About ReM(i) Culture’s Peer-to-Peer Programatic NAT Process:
Jewish Cincinnati leads in aging innovation with an active aging initiative that guides individuals from J Prime to 60 & Better, then to social services if necessary. This initiative encourages becoming seniors to engage in the community as they age, making Cincinnati ideal for the NAT pilot. Older adults access senior centers and the JCC for continuing education and activities. Traditionally the Jewish community often seeks support through social services discretely or only in crises, preferring to assist others. Changing biases about therapy remains challenging, as many see it as only for those in need. ReM(i) Culture empowers aging adults and their community with therapeutic tools and a peer support model, promoting active learning and helping peers outside traditional therapy. Through NAT, we aim to equip those ready for change and the Mayerson JCC in Cincinnati is the perfect location.
How to run NAT in your Community Center!
As it embarks on its pilot year starting January 2025, ReM(i) is providing a discount opportunity for any senior center, community center, YMCA or JCC that adopts the NAT program before January 2026. This initiative acknowledges the challenges and adjustments that can arise when initiating a new program. NAT serves as a valuable addition to a center’s already extensive programing and merges a social worker’s toolkit with the client’s skills and autonomy. Moreover, the cost is aligned with other program options that community centers may be exploring.
| NAT Program Model |
|---|
| $3025 to purchase the program |
| $425 renewal |
| One year membership |
| Listing on remiculture.com |
| NAT Certification Badge |
| Access to Bi-Monthly Supervision |
How We Run NAT
The Mayerson JCC pilot program consists of 12 classes run twice for 50-60 individuals between the ages of 50 and 80 years of age. A breakdown of the 12 classes is available upon request. The team proposes that it is living in the present with a state of awe and actionable seeking is what contributes to said positive mindset. The team posits that the key element is present-tense thinking, which fosters seeking and becoming, while past-tense ruminations, such as nostalgia and wistfulness, are seen as contributors to pain and suffering. The NAT framework, comprising educational components, follow-up assessments, and two one-hour therapeutic sessions, will be delivered as an interactive activity experience rather than traditional therapeutic tools.
By purchasing the program, ReM(i) provides NAT training for two trainers. At the Mayerson JCC this is Susan Bradley-Meyer and social worker Louis Liner. Facilitation of the NAT program in group settings organized into pairs for one-on-one engagement. Dr. Shatz oversees both pre and post-surveys, which will assess subjective well-being using various PROMIS measures. The objective is for the NAT re-empowerment model to demonstrate that becoming-seniors are ready for change, actively participating in community support, and eager to engage with the next phases of their lives. Dr. Shatz emphasizes that depression can often be the initial symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. Even when MRI scans reveal actual material degeneration, there remains potential for improvement; individuals can function at elevated levels through the incorporation of positive emotions, personal agency, social connections, community involvement, and physical activity. Research indicates that these non-pharmacological interventions are essential components of cognitive health and impairment treatment, distinct from medicinal approaches.
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