Education | Mentorship | Community

We Need You To Live Fully Alive as Professional Care Providers!

It’s a method for dignified and joy-filled life in Elder Care.

Welcome to The Connect and Create Institute

Professional Development for
Creative Engagement

Creative Engagement is more than a Life Enrichment Approach. It is a model for the full picture of care. If you leave it up to the Activities team to understand and use Creative Engagement, you are missing a big piece of the pie!

Designed for the elder care professional to discover more about how to best serve and support those living with dementia and their families. Offered live twice a year, this institute has year round offerings and 1:1 Mentorship. You will learn how to use Creative Engagement to magnify one’s purpose and navigate the challenges of caring for someone living with dementia. In this institute, Creative Engagement is not just a marketing term to bring warm fuzzies, but a way of care.

And, as an added bonus, it is an evidence-based model and growing methodology of care. 

New Cohort starting October 2025. Join the Monthly Newsletter to learn when registration goes live and to receive a special offer. 

 

Enroll now
Jump to the Details
Connect and Create Forum

Does this sound familiar?

The Roadblocks We All Face

1

Are you burnt out and finding yourself staying, “I am only staying for the residents.”

2

Do you want to start your career in Senior Living and Dementia Care?

3

Are you stuck in a rut professionally and creatively?

4

Are you struggling to have meaningful encounters with your residents and clients?

Here’s the thing…

I’ve been there, too. I know what it’s like to feel lost, burnt out, and overwhelmed. You don’t have to carry this on your own.

Each and every one of you has talents, skills, and experiences that bring life and joy to the lives of those you serve. You come to dementia care and senior living through degrees, personal experience, and passion. But, in a sometimes lackluster industry where many still live in doom and gloom, we need a community to help us recognize and magnify our unique purpose in this industry. Let us amplify each other and create a community wealthy in creativity.

The Connect and Create Institute is a place where you can gain information, meet other professionals and students in dementia care, and join mentorship and creative brainstorming calls so you can level up your ability to serve those living with dementia. Often times certifications, conferences, and even attending local networking meetings are out of reach for activities professionals, nurses, and others not in the executive administration of an organization. Missing out on that energy and rejuvenation that comes from living in meeting and learning from others in our field has a much larger impact than we might first realize. So, for less than a cost of a conference and many certifications, and with deeper conversations and connection than a networking meeting, the Connect and Create Institute is here to help you become wealthy in creativity as you journey with those you care for each day.

Join Today

Participants Will Explore Themes of…

The Pillars of the INSTITUTE

Create

Programming rooted in dignity and purpose and meets both the standards and regulations set before you and beyond.

Connect

Families, residents/clients and the greater community to each other, weaving back together a community free from isolation.

Support

Residents and clients as they seek to live the best life they can regardless of the trials they encounter.

Grow

A staff that works together in care, eliminating silos between Sales and Activities, HR and Nursing.

Magnify

The skills and talents you bring to your role as a professional care partner or senior living leader.

Make it Real

Becoming that person-centered care
community you strive for, as you become an industry leader..

Join a Live COhort!

The Connect and Create Institute

An immersive 4-week program, with small groups, and 1:1 active accompaniment partnership. Created for Administrators, Social Services Staff, Nursing, Admissions, and Activities Directors.

It’s time to dream and create a better life for our residents and ourselves.

I’m Ready to Start!

The Details

Participates will go through 5 modules, learning new tools and approaches for creative engagement, building person-centered programs, and breaking down the silos within our communities and

  • Designed for the Busy Person
  • 20 Video Lessons that are Self-Paced 
  • You Pick Your Ways of Accompaniment – Mentorship or Coaching
  • 4th Friday Roundtable Conversations to learn and share in the knowledge of creative and impactful eldercare.
Enroll Now
Dynamic black and white image capturing a busy train station with a crowd of commuters.

Designed for the Busy Person

We are busy. We work in healthcare. Our lives are a bit unpredictable. For that reason everything is recorded and available on-demand, with easy rescheduling of our 1:1 sessions.

You Pick!

Some of us need a mentor. Some of us need a coach. That is why you get to pick the form of active accompaniment you receive. Our sessions are monthly, with the flexibility to add bonus sessions throughout the month depending on our current work reality.

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Smiling African American female guest gesticulating while having interview with journalist sitting near mic

Magnify the Gifts You Have to Give.

We all have our talents and gifts to share in our profession. That is why we have moments when you can step into the spotlight and become an expert in sharing what you have learned over the years in elder care.

HURRY! Enrollment closes in:

  

The Connect and Create Forum

A 3-year Partnership – Launching with a 4-week Course

The Art of Accompaniment

Module 1

Exploring ways to communicate with those living with dementia and uncover one’s purpose and how to work as an interdisciplinary team. Understanding one’s story and inviting the family into care.

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Engagement: Not Just for Activities Staff

Module 2

Learning the difference between activities and engagement and how all staff are part of the Life Enrichment Team. We will walk through the layers of Activity to Engagement to Enrichment, finding ways to make one’s purpose and preferences the focus of our care.

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Transforming CHallenges into Beautiful Moments of Connection

Module 3

Uncovering Evidence-Based approaches to care to help you navigate challenges when providing care to someone living with dementia and working with their families. We will learn to start looking at behaviors as an invitation not a problem.

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Working Together to Create a Community of Purpose

Module 4

Finding ways to create a community of purpose by creating our own care teams as care professionals, magnifying and examining the gifts and talents each person brings to our roles, and how we can weave our new findings into an interdepartmental model of care.

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Active Accopmaniment

Module 5

Uncovering Evidence-Based approaches to care to help you navigate challenges when providing care to someone living with dementia and working with their families. We will learn to start looking at behaviors as an invitation not a problem.

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Tell me, are you…

  • Tired of feeling stuck and excited to break through to the next level?
  • Ready to attract clients who align with your vision and elevate your work?
  • Willing to embrace change and step outside your comfort zone?
  • Eager to learn, grow, and build a business you can be proud of?
  • Determined to stop spinning your wheels and start seeing real, lasting results?
  • Prepared to finally invest in yourself and your business?
Yes! I’m In

Connect Meet others in Elder Care

Learn how to Improve what you already offer

Create a new Approach that is Person-Centered for both Staff and Residents

Become a leader in the Senior LIving INdustry and Dementia Care

Join the Next Cohort!

Select A plan that works for you

Connect and Create Partnership

Every 3 Months

$199

  • 4-Week Intensive
  • Invitations to Monthly Roundtable conversations where you can join the table and discuss your work.
  • Monthly Mentorship or Coaching calls with Kate. You selected the type of accompaniment.
  • PDF Workbook
  • Access to recordings and videos as long as you continue the partnership
Select this plan

Connect and Create Forum and Membership

Pay in full

$3,000

  • 4-Week Intensive with Annual Updates
  • Invitations to Monthly Roundtable conversations where you can join the table and discuss your work.
  • Monthly Mentorship or Coaching calls with Kate. You selected the type of accompaniment.
  • PDF Workbook
  • Lifetime access to the recordings and videos
  • Bi-Annual Renewal at 50% off
Select this plan

Meet your Faculty

Hi! I’m Kate

HI THERE! I’m Kathryne (Kate) Fassbender

I have been called a Creative Gerontologist, Speaker, and Arts and Innovator.

I continue to dedicate my life to accompanying those living with dementia. I believe dementia is not a death sentence, a reason to squash dignity, purpose, and joy, nor an eraser that eliminates the beauty of your life. But it is also not a reason to fear suffering, and “shush” conversations about the real trials of dementia. Whether you have the diagnosis yourself or are a care partner, I seek to walk with you through the trials and triumphs of this life.

I am a Midwestern heart living on the East Coast.

Born and raised in Wisconsin, I have spent my adult life living “out East.” This connection between these two creative, innovative, and leading regions of our country in aging and dementia (as well as arts and health) has allowed me to dream big, to put out into the deep and imagine a better world for those on the dementia journey.

I am the granddaughter of someone who lived with Vascular Dementia.

My grandmother was diagnosed with Vascular Dementia when I was 16. After already volunteering in memory care since I was 11, her diagnosis made dementia real in a new way. I saw the family dynamics, the trials as well as the triumphs, what care looked like across the spectrum, and where I wish we could have done better.

About Photo

The REsults

At the conclusion you will be able to…

1

Better recognize how to communicate with residents living with dementia and their family members.

2

Identify the purpose, desires, and needs of each resident.

3

Engage in moments of joy and challenges as if second nature and not another item on your task list.

4

Work together as one unified Care Team instead of siloed department and roles within the care structure.

Join the Next Cohort!

Select A plan that works for you

Connect and Create Partnership

Every 3 Months

$199

  • 4-Week Intensive
  • Invitations to Monthly Roundtable conversations where you can join the table and discuss your work.
  • Monthly Mentorship or Coaching calls with Kate. You selected the type of accompaniment.
  • PDF Workbook
  • Access to recordings and videos as long as you continue the partnership
Select this plan

Connect and Create Forum and Membership

Pay in full

$3,000

  • 4-Week Intensive with Annual Updates
  • Invitations to Monthly Roundtable conversations where you can join the table and discuss your work.
  • Monthly Mentorship or Coaching calls with Kate. You selected the type of accompaniment.
  • PDF Workbook
  • Lifetime access to the recordings and videos
  • Bi-Annual Renewal at 50% off
Select this plan

FAQ

We know that insolation is devastating to our health and care partners are equally, if not more, susceptible to loneliness. We also know that when taking a broad look at the professional landscape, care partners in dementia are undertrained by 230-280* hours of formal education. Not to mention the lack of support for family care partners. This gap in education in multiplied for those working in activities and through social connection means in our senior living communities, care organizations, and in our homes. The Connect and Create Institute is a place where we can bridge the gap between professional development, community, and service.

*When we look at an average Activities Director only needing 180 of specified training, if required at all.

Professional Care Partners working in Senior Living and Care (especially those in non-medical care)

Pastoral Care and Specialist on care teams for those living in long-term care.

Students and Individuals looking to enter activities or senior living professions

One-on-One Mentorship: Bi-weekly calls to help you develop and grow as a professional care partner through a sharing of knowledge, skills, and/or experience, accompanied by tangible resources, and the development of actionable plans. Creative Brainstorming Calls: With fellow dementia professionals, to network, share ideas, and create new programs together for your community or organization. Monthly Professional Support Group: Coming together as care professionals to share experiences and struggles of life in dementia care. Exclusive Digital Content: Videos and Podcast episodes created by myself (and hopefully you one day) that are designed to fit in busy schedules with ideas and actionable steps. A Private Community: A place where we can come together to share in triumphs and trials between digital gatherings. Early Access: Get first notice on anything new with Dementia Letters Project, including any services or products with a chance to give feedback before it hits the public. Discounts on Services: Work for a community or organization? You can get discounted training and program fees. Access to the Annual Connect and Create Digital Conference for FREE

Materials: Email and Online

Mentorship and Roundtable Sessions: Zoom

For partners every three months you will be prompted to renew or end the partnership. At which point you will continue on with active accompaniment, and access to any new programming developed, or lose access to the videos and recordings and invitations to roundtables.

For membership, renewal takes place after your first three years. At which point it is an bi-annual renewal at $1,500.

Of course! No contracts or monthly minimums are set and you are free to cancel anytime. Upon cancellation, you will be immediately removed from the digital community and may rejoin at any time. Not, however, that you may not be able to rejoin at the same rate you initially had. Note that if you are in the middle of the 4-week course, your cancelation will take place upon completion of the first 3 months and if you selected the forum and membership level, you will be refunded all but $199 of your dues.

Because of the nature of a digital community, the general policy is no refunds will be granted for online content. However, if after the first mentorship call with Kate, you both decided that your styles of working are not a good fit, you may receive a full refund within 24 hours of that call. Other special circumstances may grant a refund, please email Kate@dementialettersproject.com with questions.

If registration is closed or a cohort is full, please email outreach@dementialettersproject.com to have your name put on the waiting list. Sometimes, even if a registration is closed, we might have room to accept you into a newly begun cohort, so don’t hesitate to ask.

Dementia Letters Project and Kathryne Fassbender own this course, however, you will receive lifetime access to the program to revisit as needed. Each participant must register for themselves unless purchased at the group rate for your entire staff. Individuals will have lifetime access to the program. Organizations will have 1 year of access, and must repurchase after 1 year if desired.

We Believe In

The Connect and Create Institute started as a small online conference for Life Enrichment Specialists back in 2018 in hopes that every type of care partner
could be supported in networking with others in similar roles, and grow in knowledge and skills to navigate the day-to-day of senior living programming.
Today, I am re-launching the Connect and Create Institute to better address the trials and uplift the triumphs of non-medical care partners and support new
care partners as they enter their professional life.

Join the Next Cohort

Want to live a flourishing life as a professional care partner?

Join the connect + Create insitute