Aging Greatfully With Holley Kelley

World Renowned Naomi Feil, Validation, and Aging GreatFULLy! Validation began in the 1970s as the personal practice of a brilliant individual, Naomi Feil. Born in Munich, Naomi and her family escaped Nazi Germany and moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Her father became the administrator of The Montefiore Home for the Aged and they lived in 5 rooms alongside the elderly residents. This is where the roots of Validation began.Feil originated the concept of what is now known as ‘person-centered care’. She built Validation on an empathetic attitude and a holistic view of individuals with dementia. She said, “When you ‘step into the shoes’ of another human being and ‘see through their eyes’, you step into the world of disoriented very old people and suddenly understand the meaning of their sometimes bizarre behavior.” With the help of a few supporters she created the Validation Training Institute (VTI), a 501 (c) not-for-profit organization, as a vehicle for spreading information, and training practitioners. Over the past