COURSE OVERVIEW:
Toxic elderly are not bad people; they are difficult. Not all difficult people are toxic. Enforced (or voluntary) close proximity to adult children and multiple losses, such as control and dependency, may bring a lifelong toxicity to the surface. This negative energy is contagious for those susceptible to the victim consciousness of older toxics. The goal for those working and associating with such agers is to learn how to protect and nourish themselves.
Toxicity is not normal ageing. Its symptoms are frustrating emotional stressors, confiscating valuable time and energy from aged care workers, support workers, therapists, carers, service providers, and those who must associate with a toxic ager.
A toxic elder personifies a psychosocial manifestation that can choke the spirit of anyone susceptible to its toxin. The destruction is slow, out of our awareness, and often goes unrecognised until the damage is done. Even gerontology professionals are not immune. The effect of toxicity will range from simple annoyance to frustration, emotional entanglement and depression, withdrawal, and thoughts of suicide.
Fortunately, the number of older adults who age unsuccessfully— and are locked into this anomaly—is proportionately small, but the impact on others is disproportionately vast. It is a behaviour pattern that is little understood, isolated, and not acknowledged. To the public, it is a hidden syndrome.
This course identifies this ageing anomaly, labelling it to understand the pattern and what we are dealing with, working with possible causes rather than symptoms, proposing some strategies for coping, and suggesting ways to prevent its occurrence.
The first part, uses definitions and descriptions to explain what is meant by toxic agers and whether it is a personality disorder as described in the (DSM), why the focus on toxic agers and how we would know if we are toxic. The second part, uses examples of intervention options plus possible techniques and methods for professionals to intervene, cope and deal with toxic agers.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:
- What does toxic mean?
- Why the term "toxic agers"?
- How does toxic aging compare with successful ageing?
- The definitions and explanations of toxic agers
- Who are toxic agers?
- What causes toxicity?
- Does extroversion or introversion make a difference?
- What is toxic behaviour?
- Is toxicity a verbal abuse?
- Is toxicity an emotional blackmail?
- Is toxicity a mental illness?
- Multiple diagnoses for toxic agers
- The relationship between toxicity and physical challenges
- Is toxicity found in other ethnic groups and cultures?
- How are toxic agers perceived?
- Why the focus on toxic agers?
- How to raise consciousness?
- Nourishment versus toxicity
- The characteristics of self-induced toxicity
- Why toxic agers are starved for nurturance?
- Why toxic agers are failures?
- How toxic agers are explainers?
- Why toxic agers are unable to give?
- How toxic agers are poor receivers?
- How toxic agers are obligation instillers?
- Why toxic agers are greedy and insatiable?
- Why toxic agers are insecure and fearful?
- How toxic agers see themselves as helpless victim?
- The oppressive nature and attitude of toxic agers
- How toxic agers are ineffective communicators?
- Why toxic agers prefer being miserable?
- How do we know that they are toxic?
- The behavioural characteristics of toxic agers
- The labelling of toxic agers
- The nonverbal signs of toxic agers
- The personal signs of toxic agers
- The public behaviour signs of toxic agers
- How would you know if you are toxic?
- The self-assessment toxicity indicator
- How to intervene and cope with toxic agers?
- Is there any treatment for toxic agers?
- The importance of training in dealing with toxic agers
- The fundamental rules for working with toxic agers
- Why you should know thyself first?
- How to know what you are dealing with?
- How to understand your client?
- The levels of dysfunction
- The three levels of difficult behaviours
- The basic guidelines to cope with toxic agers
- The Feil's validation method for dealing with toxic agers
- The ten-second confrontation assertion technique for dealing with toxic agers
- The broken record assertion skill for dealing with toxic agers
- Tips from service providers on how to deal with toxic agers
- The transactional analysis technique for dealing with toxic agers
- The responsible assertion training for dealing with toxic agers
COURSE DURATION:
The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.
COURSE DELIVERY:
Purchase and download course content.
ASSESSMENT:
A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.
CERTIFICATION:
Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.