Beyond the Basics of Caregiving

Caregivers for seniors work on the front lines every day. They are asked to be deeply empathic and responsive to the needs of others, think quickly on their feet, solve difficult – even impossible – problems, and work collaboratively with a diverse range of people. This complex, rigorous work presents equally complex challenges in supporting these caregivers. Discover how The ART of High-Performance Caregiving empowers caregivers with the tools and support they need to excel—read on to learn more!  

The ART of High-Performance Caregiving (TAHPC) is a 16-hour, in-person program that elevates the effectiveness of caregivers and their teams. The open workshops take place in cities throughout the U.S.A. However, organizations can host or sponsor private workshops as well. The program consists of four 4-hour sessions over two days. During that time, participants develop skills, knowledge, and mindsets proven to take caregiving to the next level. Through an integrated, whole-person approach, each session engages participants using inventive experiential techniques designed to heighten engagement and retention. Caregivers leave equipped with enhanced skills and abilities that drive improved outcomes with less risk to their emotional and physical reserves.

Originally developed for members of caregiver teams at Senior Care organizations, The ART of High-Performance Caregiving draws on a wide range of interdisciplinary pedagogical resources to achieve specific learning objectives. Because these learning objectives are universally helpful, TAHPC can benefit caregivers from many settings. To better understand how we can take the performance of your caregiver team to the next level, contact us directly or read on as we detail specific benefits, dive into the workshop activities and outcomes, and review the evidence and development behind it all. 

For caregivers, the difference between high-performance and average involves more than technical proficiency. Most caregivers must receive training and formally demonstrate competence in the tasks and duties required for their job. Often considered the core of caregiver work, we treat technical skills as the foundation upon which to build next-level caregiver performance.

The ART of High Performance Caregiving develops an interconnected set of soft and hard skills that boost performance in whole-person caregiving. This is accomplished by immersing participants in advanced leadership training activities, powerful neuroarts exercises, and training in simple, high-impact personal routines. We guide caregivers as they challenge limiting beliefs, learn to see differently, adapt creatively, and strengthen resilience. By fostering engagement, curiosity, and

teamwork, our program helps caregivers shift from merely performing tasks to actively engaging with their work. This results in enhanced team dynamics, proactive collaboration, and improved creativity when solving problems. Equipped with a transformed mindset and new skills to match, caregivers leave ready to go beyond expectations and contribute to a culture of innovation and care that will set any organization apart.

Arts Based Experiential Learning (ABEL) is the predominant approach we employ for fostering rapid, enduring skill development. ABEL grew out of a decade of National Science Foundation-funded research and has been validated through successful field use in many of the world's leading corporations. ABEL is the fusion of two training methods that are each powerful in their own right: experiential learning and arts-based learning.

Experiential learning starts with carefully designed activities that engage the mind through multiple senses while sustaining attention and focus. Afterwards, reflection and discussion yield new insights and understanding. Implementing arts-based activities supercharges the experiential learning method for two main reasons. First, artistic tasks are, by nature, highly engaging, causing broader and more intense brain activity. Second, artistic activities are novel for most people. Studies have shown that novel tasks and situations excite areas of the brain that remain relatively quiet when on familiar ground. Through the integration of these potent approaches into ABEL, we facilitate intensive experiences that quickly build skills.

Of course, a great training method only matters when the skills are relevant. Caregivers don’t need just any training—they need new ways of seeing, feeling, and connecting. This is one more way in which ABEL stands out. When caregivers create visual art, they sharpen their observation skills. When they role-play, they develop empathy. When they move, act, or improvise, they learn to listen with heightened awareness and adapt their response in real time. These artistic experiences are more than exercises—they are tools that open the door to more compassionate, intuitive, and responsive care. Through ABEL, caregivers cultivate cognitive, emotional, physical, professional, and purposeful growth, seamlessly integrating these skills into their caregiving practice.

A whole-person approach to caregiving must be backed by a whole-person approach to caregivers. The ART of High Performance Caregiving goes beyond the soft-skill training and develops physical skills and practical routines to sustain caregivers through the demands of their workday. Through demonstration and guided practice, participants engage in targeted physical training that includes stretching, strengthening, nutritional planning, and specialized physical work techniques. The practice time and limited group size allow our team to work with individuals to adapt exercises

when needed. Just as professional athletes rely on warm-ups and warm-downs to optimize their performance and recovery, this workshop equips caregivers with dynamic practices to build resilience, maintain energy reserves, and enhance their capacity to deliver exceptional care. By integrating these powerful techniques, caregivers develop the physical and mental stamina needed to thrive in demanding situations, ensuring they can perform at their best, day after day.

Caregivers must navigate ever-shifting cognitive and emotional situations. Understanding the neural mechanisms behind brain states, behaviors, and social-emotional wellness equips caregivers to better adapt, improving their performance. Applied educational neuroscience research provides the foundation for one of The ART of High Performance Caregiving’s top-ranked sessions. Using an immersive, arts-centered experience, a facilitator guides and informs a collaborative learning experience. This approach transforms complex academic research into clear, practical information that caregivers can easily comprehend, practice, and apply. Participants use this new knowledge to strengthen communication methods, skillfully modulate behavior, and elevate the overall social-emotional climate.