Second Wind Dreams, Inc.

Second Wind Dreams® is an internationally known nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the perception of aging through the fulfillment of dreams and the offering of educational programs including its flagship, sensitivity training, the Virtual Dementia Tour®.\nSecond Wind Dreams (SWD®) was founded in 1997. Its name derived from a novel of the same name by P.K. Beville, a geriatric specialist who wrote about the wonderful, colorful, and sometimes hysterical people who live and work in nursing homes. Since 1997, SWD has become involved in more than 1,000 eldercare communities across the United States weaving countless dreams from the simple to the sublime. We create a social impact through offering of innovative programs and educational opportunities to caregivers and communities.\nGoal 1. To shed a positive light on aspects of aging.\nSecond Wind Dreams® award-winning Dreams Program sheds light on the positive aspects of aging. It is a powerful way to connect society to a forgotten truth about seniors: the truth that age does not erase hopes and dreams. Our program has fulfilled over 20,000 dreams since our organization's inception. As each Dream comes true, we witness a ripple effect as the impact of the dream spreads from the elder to everyone who helped make it a reality as well as other elders living in the same community as the dreamer. During our original Dream Impact Study, we found a decrease in depression for the dreamers and the residents around them, but we also found an improved satisfaction for staff as well as decreased staff attrition.\nGoal 2. To develop caregivers capacity for empathy and understanding in person-centered care delivery\nThe Virtual Dementia Tour® (VDT®), our flagship experiential education program, provides an immersive experience to caregivers and community members of what it may be like to live with dementia. This experience results in better empathic person-centered care by allowing caregivers to relate their own experience during the VDT to those living with dementia. When conducted regularly, the VDT has shown a significant positive change in participants’ attitudes toward individuals with dementia, creating a better understanding of the daily life of those with dementia. Experienced by over 3 million people in 20 countries, the VDT offers hope by providing practical ways to create an environment that supports the disease and increases understanding.

The Dreams Program began organically but our founder realized the importance of data. As the program grew, partners were approached to do a baseline study. Types of skilled nursing home settings for dream fulfillment, as well as the elders, community volunteers, and the staff were all assessed. The result of this study has informed our strategy and we are in process of completing an updated Dreams Program study and implementing what new data indicates. \nThe Virtual Dementia Tour ® (VDT®) was also developed by our founder PK Beville and grew out of her doctoral thesis. It was built on observations, meta-analysis, interviews, and testing. The VDT was developed with a pre and posttest as well as behavioral observations forms. Each are evaluated and the data is analyzed for program effectiveness, improvements needed, as well as guiding toward needed education modules.\nThere have been iterations of both programs developed over time to meet the needs we encounter. Those iteration of the VDT are: VDT Family Edition, VDT Family Counseling edition. Hospital VDT, Inclusive VDT, Community VDT, and the Dementia Aware Competency Evaluation or DACE®. \nhttps://www.secondwind.org/virtual-dementia-tourreg.html\nhttps://www.secondwind.org/dacereg.html\n\nThe iterations for the Dreams Program include: Gifts of Light and Cards of Light. \nhttps://www.secondwind.org/dreams.html\nhttps://www.secondwind.org/gifts-of-light.html

Second Wind Dreams has a small but multitalented group driving the mission. Our Founder and CEO Emeritus remains with the company as a consultant and advisor. Our staff includes an executive team with experience in nonprofit management as well as aging services, social work, community development, and data management. Our management team includes a grants manager with years of grant implementation experience, a clinical manager with a gerontology and dementia background, accounting, fulfillment, and support staff with the skills to analyze the needs and develop strategies to meet them. In addition, SWD has been in operation for 24 years. The programs have developed over time and have been evaluated, adjusted, and re-evaluated to ensure feasibility and to meet the needs of the community.

Second Wind Dreams® award-winning Dreams Program sheds light on the positive aspects of aging. It is a powerful way to connect society to a forgotten truth about seniors: the truth that age does not erase hopes and dreams. Our program has fulfilled over 20,000 dreams since our organization's inception in 1997. As each Dream comes true, we witness a ripple effect as the impact of the dream spreads from the elder to everyone who helped make it a reality as well as other elders living in the same community as the dreamer. During our original Dream Impact Study, we found a decrease in depression for the dreamers and the residents around them, but we also found an improved satisfaction for staff as well as decreased staff attrition.\nThe Virtual Dementia Tour®, our flagship experiential education program, provides an immersive experience to caregivers and community members of what it may be like to live with dementia. This experience results in better empathic person-centered care by allowing caregivers to relate their own experience during the VDT to those living with dementia. When conducted regularly, the VDT has shown a significant positive change in participants’ attitudes toward individuals with dementia, creating a better understanding of the daily life of those with dementia. Experienced by over 3 million people in 20 countries, the VDT offers hope by providing practical ways to create an environment that supports the disease and increases understanding.