Montessori for Aging
and Dementia
Introductory Course & Certification Course
If you would like to create a dementia care environment where everyone thrives,
this 3-step innovative program is for you!
Caring for individuals living with dementia can pose challenges for everyone concerned. The confusion and memory loss that are the hallmarks of dementia often lead to frustration, upset, and chaos in relationships and in the caregiving environment — and stressed-out, overworked, exhausted care partners.
There is a better way.
Step 1:
Enroll in our comprehensive 12-hour introductory course:
From Can’t to Can Do! Montessori for Aging and Dementia (in English or Spanish).
This is the prerequisite course for the Certified Montessori Elder Care Practitioner course (Step 2).
It is available 100% online, at a fraction of the cost of hiring Jennifer personally. You will receive access to instruction, useful handouts and implementation activities that walk you through an easy and transformative program to get real results. You can take the class live, or sign up at any time and go through it at your own speed. Students in the self paced course have access to all of the material for 90 days (Extensions in length of time are not given).
Earn Continuing Education Credits:
- ASHA CEUs for SLPs are available by taking this course through Northern Speech Services.
- NCCAP CEUs printed on Brush Development certificate after passing this course.
- Association Montessori International (AMI) certificate is available after completing this course for an additional fee payable at checkout.
- College credit available for students who complete Step 2: Montessori Elder Care Practitioner certification course (see info).
As a result of the course you’ll:
- Understand the real reason why elders become depressed, exit seek, and walk about — and learn the exact steps you can take to prevent these behaviors from happening (instead of simply trying to “manage” them)
- Discover a powerful (and little-known) approach to dementia care that will totally change your perspective on aging and dementia
- Learn the first thing you should do to create a sense of community between staff and residents (it’s not what you think)
- Create an engaging life enrichment program (appropriate for people at a variety of cognitive levels) in a way that transforms the culture of a long-term care center and ultimately frees up staff time dramatically
- Learn the process for changing a ho-hum activity program into a dynamic and engaging person-centered program that keeps people interested and has them coming back for more
- Successfully reduce or eliminate the repetitive questioning behaviors that so often characterize those living with cognitive impairment
- Start using a simple tool for helping people with cognitive impairment participate in meaningful conversations, leading to an improved situation for both the care partner and the person with dementia
- Identify the mistakes almost everyone unknowingly makes in wayfinding and signage, leading to confusion and discord — and find out how to correct them
- Develop the skills to effectively communicate with people with dementia, so they easily understand what you are trying to convey
- Discover how to help people with dementia learn new or previously known information. Yes, people with cognitive impairment can learn and retain new information! We’ll show you how, step by step.
We’ve made learning easy and convenient in online formats that give you a lot of flexibility.
Group Discounts available for 10 or more.
Additional On-Location Workshops
July 18 & 19, 2024
Greenspring Center for Lifelong Learning in Timonium, MD
Step 2:
Enroll in our innovative Certified Montessori Elder Care Practitioner Course (in English or Spanish) within 1 year of taking the introductory course, and study this practice in depth.
Earn an optional AMI certificate or college credit for this course through Sarasota University. Learn more here.
Taught by Margaret and Jennifer in English, and by Julia in Spanish, this class meets the last Tuesday of each month from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM EST. An additional class is offered on the last Thursday of each month at 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM EST for European time zone students if there are enough requests. Please contact us before registering if you are requesting the Thursday time slot.
Earn an optional AMI certificate or college credit for this course through Sarasota University. Learn more here.
Montessori Practitioner
Certification Course
REGISTRATION OPENS DECEMBER 2, 2024. Class begins January 28, 2025. Registration Opens In:
- This in-depth course enables you to implement roles and activities and create a prepared environment for older adults using Montessori principles. You can serve as a role model and leader in your community and help to establish Montessori programming. You will not be qualified to serve as a trainer, but you will be a Certified Montessori Elder Care Pracitioner (CMECP).
- It will take a minimum of 60-80 hours over six months to complete all the requirements.
- The $600 course involves mandatory course attendance, homework, assigned reading (4 books that you must purchase), completing case studies, writing a short paper and successfully completing a test.
- When you successfully complete this in-depth study, you are eligible to earn a Certified Montessori Elder Care Practitioner designation from Brush Development. You may also request an AMI certificate for an additional fee.
- To be eligible for Certification, you must have completed the Brush Development From Can’t to Can Do! Montessori for Aging and Dementia Introductory Course within one year of enrollment in the 6-month Certification class.
- The course takes six months to complete.
- Anyone in any country who meets the requirements can apply.
- Complete our Introductory course: From Can’t to Can Do! Montessori for Aging and Dementia
- Registration for the Certification Course is open for just several weeks prior to the January and July courses.
- Upon receipt of your $600 registration, you will receive log in access to our online class portal. Once logged in, you will have access to handouts, recorded material, certificate requirements, and live classes/coaching sessions. All material is available in both English and Spanish.
Before the certification course begins, register as a student at Sarasota University through the dual enrollment option. For more complete information, please see this page.
- The Montessori Elder Care Practitioner’s Certificate course is a mentored self-study that meets once a month online for a one-hour class and group discussion. This is your opportunity to network with other students from around the world, to ask questions, discuss how the Montessori philosophy pertains to dementia care, etc.
- You complete the reading and prerecorded lecture requirements at your own pace through our online portal; however, you are expected to log in on time to each coaching session and interact with the other students and discuss your case studies and other homework. There are mandatory homework assignments to complete each month.
- The course is offered twice per year (January and July). The online classes are on the last Tuesday of every month from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM EST in English, and 7:30 PM Mexico City time in Spanish. We typically also offer a European time zone class on the last Thursday of each month at 2:00 EST. Please check the schedule, and/or contact us to request this option.
- You can find the link and all class requirements in your online class portal.
- Please use a computer or tablet with a web cam, not a phone.
- You will be able to see and hear all of the students, as well as your instructor.
- The specific requirements are contained in the information packet you will receive in your online course account upon registration, but you must attend all class lectures as well as:
- Participate in class discussions.
- Complete at least two case studies with people living with dementia and complete the procedures and forms associated with the case study requirements.
- Write an essay and prepare a presentation given at the end of the semester.
- Complete short homework assignments each month
- Complete readings (4 short books)
- Complete a written examination.
- Submit all assessment tasks and paperwork electronically to our online class portal.
Required Textbook for All Classes
Montessori for Elder and Dementia Care, Second Edition
This indispensable guide to Montessori for elders makes it possible for any care provider to understand and implement this innovative approach to aging.
Step 3:
Enroll in our Certified Montessori Community Educator course and take the first steps of sharing what you have learned about Montessori with others. This informative lunch and learn style class is offered February 27 to May 8, 2025 and costs $600. The class meets every other week on Thursdays from 12:00–1:00 PM EST. REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW. Please use the Contact Us page to let us know you would like to register as all students must be approved prior to enrolling.
This program is only available to our Certified Montessori Elder Care Practitioners who are currently working in elder care and would like to offer a Montessori orientation program/introduction to other staff and community members.
The Certified Montessori Community Educator course is a live online program designed to elevate the implementation of Montessori for Aging and Dementia in your community to a new level. This course is not an in-depth educational mentoring process to become a trainer, but is the first step in begining to share your knowledge with others in a formalized way.
At the end of the 12-weeks, you will leave with a complete and personalized 2-hour orientation presentation that you can deliver in your care community with confidence!
During the six 1-hour classes you will:
- Receive 4 different presentation templates and guided mentoring to create an orientation personalized to YOUR community. You’ll complete 1 module every other week as homework. You will be responsible for adding significant content such as photos, text, example of policies and procedures to each template provided.
- Learn the four key Educator characteristics for successful delivery of the orientation and examine how you will incorporate these characteristics into your practice.
- Receive helpful forms and worksheets to complete that will assist you in tackling staff resistance to change and other challenges.
- Complete the Montessori Leadership Master Class in order to learn the 5 Steps for Successful Implementation.
- Participate in rich discussion regarding integration of Montessori into your community team.
- Learn how to win the support of staff for the culture change.
- Present two of the four modules of your orientation to your instructor and peers during the final two live sessions and receive real time feedback.
Frequently Asked Questions
Anyone who lives and works with older adults!
More specifically, anyone who wants to create a dementia care environment where everyone flourishes should take this innovative program.
Past participants have included:
- Social workers
- Nurses
- Rehab therapists
- Dietitians
- Nursing assistants
- Administrators
- Life enrichment staff
- Family care partners
- Montessori Guides
Montessori transforms the way we think about dementia care because it puts the focus back on the person we’re serving and gives them an environment in which they can succeed.
Too often, communities who serve elders with dementia leave them sitting in wheelchairs with little to do other than the scheduled large group activities. People deserve a chance to continue to participate in their own hobbies and interests at a schedule that works best for them. With the From Can’t to Can Do! program, they’re given the chance to flourish.
What many people don't realize, however, is how dramatically Montessori for Aging and Dementia can change the satisfaction levels of the care partner, too. Whether you are a family member of a person living with dementia, healthcare professional, or program director, you'll benefit from the Montessori approach, personally and/or professionally.
Implementation of the approaches you learn in From Can’t to Can Do! results in actively engaged older adults with meaningful roles that empower them to contribute to the community. This enhances their independence and enriches their lives.
Most of the stress that healthcare professionals feel when assisting people with dementia stems from how much care they require or the responsive behaviors or actions they experience.
When elders are actively engaged in things they enjoy doing, they tend to repeat those activities and get better and better at doing them. As a result, individuals become more independent and require less staff assistance.
The skills they practice during Montessori activities, such as attention to task, fine and gross motor skills, turn taking, and following directions, can help elders to function independently during daily activities such as dressing and eating.
If you follow the steps in this training, you’ll free up time, reduce work stress and open up a whole new way of thinking about people with dementia.
The implementation of our program has been evaluated by outside researchers and has been shown to increase staff job satisfaction, and improve elder quality of life indicators, increase positive affect and engagement in elders. Group Discounts are available for 10 or more. Contact us to set up your account.
One thing that makes the Montessori approach so phenomenal, successful and simple is that it works whether you are an individual family member or a huge community serving hundreds of people with dementia, and it benefits anyone along the continuum of dementia. Whether the people you serve are living at home, attending an adult day program, in assisted living, or living in a skilled nursing home, the Montessori philosophy of life can work for them.
This is an approach to living. Living with purpose, meaning, and joyful engagement in life.
In the From Can’t to Can Do! program, you’ll be given the step-by-step process you need to be successful with the Montessori approach to dementia care.
You’ll also receive an abundance of real life examples from different communities around the world and how they’ve been able to implement the Montessori principles with their own staff and residents. You’ll be able to take from these examples and make them your own.
The initial cost of buying materials to get you started is really quite inexpensive. Many of the activities can be purchased from Montessori supply catalogs, but others can be made from family donations and materials from discount and craft stores.
Of course, any change requires a commitment of time and other resources – but the bottom line is that the From Can’t to Can Do! approach can work for anyone, and also pays off exponentially for both the caregiver and the person living with dementia.
Even if you’ve attended a workshop someplace else or read a book on Montessori, you have not received the information from Jennifer Brush’s point of view.
The depth and breadth of this course is exceptional, and it’s taught by the only Montessori trainer in the United States who has also served on the AMI Advisory Board for Montessori for Aging and Dementia since 2014. Jennifer helped to write the international guidelines for Montessori for Aging and Dementia care. And now, she's sharing this approach online exclusively in the From Can’t to Can Do! program.
What Our Students Are Saying
