Laurie White incorporates her extensive experience working with families and direct care staff into her presentations, offering insightful examples and practical tips to audiences of direct care staff, family caregivers and health care providers. This  partial list of programs vary in length.

Laurie's recent dementia presentations include:

California Assisted Living Association

Aegis Senior Living locations throughout Northern and Southern California and Washington

Alzheimer's Association, Northern California

The Heart and Spirit of Caregiving, Calvin College,  Grand Rapids, Michigan

A complete list of presentations and topics is available upon request.

Sample Speaking Topics

He Ain’t Misbehavin’, He’s Communicatin’: Understanding Challenging Behaviors                                                                                                                                                               

We often look at behaviors as a problem for us rather than an expression of need by the person with dementia. When a person with dementia cannot tell us what she wants or needs, it is up to use to identify feelings and needs that are being expressed behaviorally. This program will examine factors that may increase challenging behaviors and help participants approach challenging behaviors in a thoughtful,respectful and person centered way. 

To Move or Not to Move: Considerations in Moving a Relative with Memory Loss                                                                                                 

This program has been developed with one goal in mind: to make moving an easier process for families. This is achieved by the presenter’s years of experience in helping hundreds of families with every step of the moving process. This program expands on the many examples of the presenter’s book, Moving a Relative with Memory Loss.

If Only I Could Get Him To...Making Activities of Daily Living Successful and Pleasurable... 

Laurie looks at the activities of daily living that are most challenging for caregivers: bathing, dressing, toileting and eating.   What are the reasons that people with dementia 'resist' doing these things? Why do they do what they do and not what you want them to do? What can caregivers do to make these activities more comfortable for themselves and for the person with memory loss? Laurie approaches these challenges in a pragmatic and practical manner by combining research and years of her clinical experience.

Helping Families Accept Help: Considerations and Strategies for Professionals

This program  begins by examining the values that we bring to our work with families, and how our values and experiences affect our attitudes, interactions and expectations of spouses and adult children.  The practical and emotional issues at each stage of caregiving are explored to give participants a deeper and clearer understanding of what families go through. Obstacles for families in accepting and using services in the home, community and with residential care homes are discussed.  Interventions to consider when the family says "no" are offered.

It Takes the Family: Building Partnerships with Families in Their Home or Yours

Moving a relative into a residential care setting has been described as one of the most difficult decisions that family caregivers have to make. Staff who work in these settings - from management to direct care staff - have the opportunity to ease the transition and build relationships with families of new residents and also benefit from families' caregiving experiences. This program focuses on the value that families bring to residential care, and explores ways to actively engage families in the care team. Attention is also given to the unique strategies for building and maintaining successful relationships with spouses, adult children and care partners.