Naomi Feil

Naomi Feil, M.S.W., ACSW (1932–2023), was the Founder of the Validation Training Institute. She was the originator of Validation, currently recognized throughout the world as a state-of-the-art method for communicating with older adults diagnosed as having neurocognitive disorders (NCDs) due to Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.

Ms. Feil earned her master’s of social work degree from Columbia University and studied at the New School for Social Research, Case Western Reserve University, and the University of Michigan. In 1963, she became dissatisfied with traditional therapies for older people with dementia and began to develop her own methods for helping older people cope with the cognitive impairment that is sometimes part of the aging process.

In addition to her earlier book on Validation, Ms. Feil published numerous journal articles and, in collaboration with her husband Edward R. Feil, a documentary filmmaker, produced nine award-winning films on Validation. The Validation Breakthrough has sold more than 55,000 copies in the United States alone in previous editions. She is internationally recognized for her work with older people and was one of the most sought-after trainers in the field. More than 30,000 facilities in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Japan have adopted Validation, and nearly 90,000 professional and family caregivers have attended her workshops in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. There are 23 Validation centers that teach Validation certification courses in 13 countries.

Naomi Feil passed away on December 24, 2023 at the age of 91. Visit our memory page here.