In Memory of Naomi Feil
Known as the “godmother” of person-centered elder care, Naomi was a pioneering social worker and gerontologist who transformed long-term care in the 1970s with her introduction of Validation as a communication strategy. This approach asks caregivers to “step into the world” of older adults who seem confused or disoriented, and “meet them where they are” without forcing them into our reality, using diversion, or lying to them. From her own experiences engaging with residents in nursing homes, Naomi posited that there are reasons behind the sometimes challenging behaviors of disoriented older adults, who may not be experiencing reality in the same way as the rest of us. You may be sitting in a room in 2024, but a person with dementia sitting right beside you might be experiencing being in their childhood bedroom at age 8, crying because mother took away a favorite toy. Rather than forcing that person back to 2024, Validation provides space for expressing and acknowledging those feelings that are very real and present to the person in his or her current reality. Through her Validation method, Naomi provided caregivers with a set of communication tools to be with the person in such moments with empathy, compassion, and respect. Doing so allows those with mental distress or dementia to process and accept their life experiences, which can ultimately help them reach resolution and peace in their final stage of life.
Validation was a game-changer when it was first introduced. Using and teaching this approach, Naomi helped older adults regain dignity, reduce anxiety, prevent their withdrawal, and decrease use of psychoactive drugs. In turn, it helped caregivers communicate more effectively and avoid burnout and depression. Through her books, workshops, videos, and training centers, Naomi became 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 across four continents have attended her workshops. There are 23 Validation centers teaching Validation certification courses in 13 countries.
HPP has been a longtime partner in disseminating Validation knowledge, having published numerous resources by Naomi including her seminal book The Validation Breakthrough, which published in a new fourth edition only a year before her passing. “It was an honor to work with Naomi across more than 30 years. She was an inspiration to all ─ fearless, wise, and wonderful. Her impact on the field will be lasting, and the positive ways she touched individual lives was immeasurable,” says Mary Magnus, Director of Publications at Health Professions Press.
Naomi Feil’s work lives on through her non-profit organization, the Validation Training Institute (VTI). It was her wish that VTI continue with the same energy and passion that she demonstrated over 60 years of professional life. HPP also proudly carries this legacy forward ─ in collaboration with Naomi’s daughter, Vicki de Klerk-Rubin ─ by continuing to help the Validation method reach as many people with dementia and their families as possible.
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Check out these posts from the HPP Blog!
The Validation of Mrs. Trew
Read the unforgettable story of Mrs. Trew, an older woman in a nursing home and Naomi’s childhood friend, who deeply impacted her life and life’s work.
I wrote The Validation Breakthrough for Florence Trew, a resident of a nursing home, and millions of people like her. I was 8 and she was 68 in December 1940 when we first met.
I grew up in a Home for the Aged. You had to be 65 or older to get into The Home. I got in because my father, a psychologist, was the administrator. My mother, the first master’s degree social worker to work in a Home for the Aged, established the Social Service Department in 1943.
Mrs. Trew was my best friend in The Home. I was never allowed to call her by her first name. She was always Mrs. Trew. She was tall and well built, with a fine, longish thin nose on which she perched her bifocal lorgnette. Mrs. Trew would often shake her head up and down to make a point, her glasses bobbing dangerously, dancing at the very tip of her nose. Mrs. Trew read to me. I loved her low, clear, resonant voice. Her voice soothed me. Her voice trembled only once, when she read me a page in her diary…
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Frequently Asked Questions About the Validation Method
Validation is a method for communicating with older adults who are diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. It is based on an attitude of respect and empathy for older adults with Alzheimer’s-type dementia who are struggling to resolve unfinished business before they die. Validation suggests a way of classifying the behaviors of these disoriented older adults and offers simple, practical techniques that help them restore dignity and avoid deteriorating into a vegetative state. Caregivers practicing the Validation method become empathetic listeners, who do not judge the person, but accept their view of reality.
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Guidance from the Authors on Using Validation
Are you currently using the Validation method in your care setting? Do you have questions? Authors of The Validation Breakthrough, Fourth Edition, Naomi Feil and Vicki de Klerk-Rubin, answer some frequently asked questions from people using Validation. Learn more about symbols, the mind’s eye, and whether or not you are using Validation correctly.
Read Q&AProducts on Validation
Ensure Validation’s Future
If you wish to honor Naomi Feil with a contribution that will continue her legacy into the future, please consider donating to the Endowment Fund in her memory.