Alzheimer’s coaching is a term used loosely by many, even those in the Alzheimer’s Association and life coaches who want to get a piece of the action or strike while the iron is hot. Alzheimer’s care is a multibillion-dollar industry. The money keeps pouring in at several large organizations and pharmaceutical companies that are doing research to find a cure. Despite the fact that there is no clearly known cause or cure for Alzheimer’s, many keep promoting these established organizations in hopes of turning the Alzheimer’s healthcare tide around.

First, what is Alzheimer’s coaching? It is a new niche in coaching that I pioneered out of a serious need for someone to provide the help I so desperately needed after my husband was diagnosed with his Alzheimer’s (vascular dementia) in 2003. Neither of us had any close family nearby; I found myself completely isolated and he found himself fighting for his very life.

Second, who needs a certified Alzheimer’s coach? I soon found out that not only did I need a certified Alzheimer’s coach to cope better , feel supported and provide my husband the best home instead care, but hospitals, nursing centers, and assisted living facilities (to name a few) need certified Alzheimer’s coaches on staff. These organizations provide services to individuals living with Alzheimer’s and interact with family caregivers every day, but have little-to-no knowledge of Alzheimer’s other than what they have been told by such organizations as the Alzheimer’s Association (usually outdated information and raw statistics).

As with any new classification or niche in professional coaching, there can be more confusion than clarity regarding the definition of this new vocation. Here is a list of myths about certified Alzheimer’s coaching and the associated facts:

Myth #1: The Alzheimer’s Association trains Alzheimer’s coaches who can provide all the help organizations, and especially family caregivers, may need.

Fact: The limited Alzheimer’s coach training curriculum of the Alzheimer’s Association is intended to continue serving this organization’s fundraising goals and assist the public in a minimal way. Life coaches who promote being certified Alzheimer’s coaches have usually not received any special or advanced training such as that offered by the Remembering 4 You (R4Y) Training Institute which pioneered the field of certified Alzheimer’s coaching. Because anyone can hang up an “Alzheimer’s Coach” shingle, many do who are not trained in that area of expertise. R4Y’s training is 120 hours with two internships, and lasts twelve weeks. I strongly recommend hiring a certified Alzheimer’s coach who has successful completed an International Coach Federation (ICF) accredited program such as this one at R4Y, because the ICF is the professional body that provides independent certification considered the benchmark for the professional coaching industry.

Myth #2: Alzheimer’s coaching is an easy way to make a good living.

Fact: Coaching has never been an easy way to make a living for several reasons. The most prevalent reason is that most coaches are unable to market themselves and their talents. They simply do not have marketing in their DNA and must acquire those skills. Many never do, and therefore a very large percentage of coaching practices fold within months after opening. Coaches trained and certified as Alzheimer’s coaches learn how to drive sales, be creative, and promote their talents as certified Alzheimer’s coaches. Topics include in the business module include marketing to management and interprofessional healthcare teams, family caregivers and children of those living with Alzheimer’s, law enforcement personnel, hotel/motel management, to name give you a few example.

Although statistics are not yet available in this new coaching specialty, the ability of certified Alzheimer’s coaches to increase quality of services and reduce the high cost of providing care is promising, and job satisfaction and quality of life for individuals living with Alzheimer’s are expected to increase. In the area of Alzheimer’s care, Alzheimer’s coaching is perceived as the hub of the healthcare wheel and essential to the entire healthcare system approach.

Myth #3: Certified Alzheimer’s coaches can only provide information on the stages of Alzheimer’s and the facts and figures of Alzheimer’s, encourage family caregivers to find time for themselves so they can provide family caregiving even longer, and empathize with those who have lost their loved ones to Alzheimer’s.

Fact: A trained and certified Alzheimer’s coach is a true expert in the field of Alzheimer’s care because they know what works and what does not work. Many report having been there in the trenches with family members. They are able to promote teamwork in an interprofessional healthcare team, manage and maintain an active partnership between a facility and families, and train others in becoming care partners who can provide great quality of life rather than a life that is less than acceptable. Long-term care facilities largely cater to Alzheimer’s and dementia residents/patients, and they are truly unprepared to deal with this healthcare problem.  Balancing a well-trained workforce with a solid work-life balance is critical in effectively coping with the daily demands of this specialized work.  Alzheimer’s is a crisis; there is no need to also have a crisis in our workforce due to lack of proper knowledge, training, teamwork, and support.

Myth #4: Alzheimer’s coaching is for “crisis intervention” in facilities.

Fact: Coaching in general is regarded as a life-saver by employees who are about to be kicked out of their jobs or, at the very least, demoted. The large majority of facilities and their management do in fact manage by crisis. Not so with Alzheimer’s coaching. Certified Alzheimer’s coaching is for management personnel who find it impossible to stay ahead of the Alzheimer’s crisis, train and support their staff in carrying out their responsibilities effectively, increase family communications in order to add to the team’s knowledge rather than ignore such a rich resource, and finally are refusing to continue to manage by crisis.

Certified Alzheimer’s coaching focuses on managers’ strengths and legacy to help them formulate a program that will improve and strengthen the delivery of care to persons living with Alzheimer’s and dementias. It focuses on employee talent, training, and teamwork to alleviate the burden of delivering care to these individuals. Family caregivers have a true advocate in an Alzheimer’s coach who is there for them, supportive, and informative.

Myth #5: Alzheimer’s coaching takes too much time – time we don’t have.

Fact: Certified Alzheimer’s coaches are trained in a specific coaching method that includes laser coaching. Both the method and laser coaching take as little as a few minutes to twenty minutes per coaching session.

They are also trained in Alzheimer’s programs that provide tips and ideas that can be applied immediately in the workplace upon leaving training. They have a wide spectrum of coaching skills and techniques that make delivery of care to individuals living with Alzheimer’s and dementias more efficient. Certified Alzheimer’s coach training is designed to augment basic accredited coach training programs, and is considered advanced coach training.

Myth #6: Alzheimer’s coaches are like luxury staff or good friends with whom you can share ideas or secrets and who will keep you motivated, no matter what.

Fact: Your certified Alzheimer’s coach may be very empathic, but is not there to befriend you. Many organizations such as hospitals, nursing centres, and assisted living facilities want a certified Alzheimer’s coach on staff to be the hub of their healthcare organization. An Alzheimer’s coach can create an Alzheimer’s café, manage and maintain a number of partnerships, assess living needs of individuals living with Alzheimer’s or dementias, and provide a wealth of information for management and staff.

Because a certified Alzheimer’s coach wants to alleviate the burden of care, he/she advocates for family caregivers because these caregivers are largely isolated, often depressed, and welcome such a trained professional. The coach is trained to ask questions and allow you time to develop your own answers, always guiding you towards your goal but keeping in mind that there is an individual living with Alzheimer’s for which there is not necessarily a cause or cure at the moment. An certified Alzheimer’s coach is trained in a systems approach, whether it is an organizational system, a family system, or public system that affects the welfare and care of those living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

Myth #7: Alzheimer’s coaching only benefits family caregivers.

Fact: When family caregivers need facts and figures, free advice, or the kind of basic information found on the Internet, they can contact the Alzheimer’s Association which freely provides printed material, training on family caregiving such as the SAVVY program, and free counseling. Although this information is not always satisfactory for many family caregivers, it is free to them.

For family caregivers who really want to promote better caregiving and find easier, more effective caregiving tips and techniques along with the most recent research and findings which may improve the lives of their loved ones, a certified Alzheimer’s coach is the answer.

For organizations and managers who truly want to find out what will work best in their workplace, save them money, and help cope better with the high demands of Alzheimer’s and dementia care, a certified Alzheimer’s coach is the answer. A well-trained workforce can do more, faster, for less, and with a higher degree of confidence. Creating an Alzheimer’s friendly healthcare workforce is extremely important not only to attract more customers, but to keep customers happy, costs down, and employees enthusiastic about coming to work everyday.

Myth #8: Alzheimer’s coaches tell their clients what to do, how to do it, and when to do it.

Fact: Certified Alzheimer’s coaches learn a guided coaching method designed to slowly introduce clients to coaching. Coaching is only a small portion of a certified Alzheimer’s coach’s practice (internal or external to an organization). Certified Alzheimer’s coaches, like other professional coaches, do not give advice. They are trained to ask appropriate questions that lead to discovery and desired change. They can assess problem areas, design specialized training, establish programs to support the workforce resulting in improved levels of care and workplace satisfaction, knowledge of team formation and teamwork, and address many other issues concerning Alzheimer’s care in institutions or at home.

Myth #9: Alzheimer’s coaching is expensive.

Fact: Alzheimer’s healthcare costs keep climbing, and family caregiving is not getting any easier or less expensive for families. Without the assistance of certified Alzheimer’s coaches, managers and individuals keep repeating the same procedures and techniques over and over again, even the same mistakes. Many techniques are less than effective, and most are extremely costly. A certified Alzheimer’s coach can be retained for as little as $500 to $3,000 a month depending on the contractual agreement, training and experience of the coach. Organizations and individuals are getting value in return for this investment. The International Coach Federation (ICF) has reported individual clients