Tech Talks in CMMS
with Guest Sasha Johnston

Dan Roberge
Hi, Sasha. How are you?

Sasha Johnston
Good. Thank you, Dan.

Dan Roberge
Good. So, where are we today? What are we doing?

Sasha Johnston
Today we're at the advantage conference

Dan Roberge
Yes. It's in downtown Toronto. And so is this your first time here? Do you come here often?

Sasha Johnston
This is my first time at this conference.

Dan Roberge
Oh, really? Okay. And so, are you new to the industry? Like, how come this is your first time?

Sasha Johnston
So I actually have been invited as a partner to Age Inc, and my regular job though is a PRC, and we normally haven't come to this conference.

Dan Roberge
Okay. So you're a guest. What is Age Inc?

Sasha Johnston
Age Inc. is a company that develops education. So they have the gentle persuasive approach, and dementia care program that is taught all across Ontario and Canada as well, in long term care, acute care community for any frontline worker who is working with someone living with dementia.

Dan Roberge
Oh, wow. And so what is that like? So education. What format?

Sasha Johnston
Yeah. So it's eight hours of in-person education and it's hands on. So they teach you, not only modules on how to basically communicate with somebody who's living with major neurocognitive disorder, but also some practical techniques that you can use in situations of risk, and if somebody has escalated in their behavior. But first and foremost, we're looking at how do we communicate, understand someone, their disease process, and why we might see the behaviors that they're experiencing before we get hands on.

Dan Roberge
Wow. And so, you say you're a guest of this conference. What do you do for Age Inc?

Sasha Johnston
So I'm one of their master coaches. So I actually coach coaches.

Dan Roberge
Oh, wow. Okay.

Sasha Johnston
They actually have a new program which is called GPA bathing, which has just been released. Looking at gentle, persuasive approaches for one of the most difficult everyday tasks, which is bathing or showering somebody who's living with cognitive disorder.

Dan Roberge
Oh, wow.

Sasha Johnston
Yeah. So they have a new program.

Dan Roberge
So there must be a lot of products here that are that are geared to this. Also, would it be of interest to you? But you're coaching the coaches. How does that help?

Sasha Johnston
Yeah. So it's, a lot of experience in terms of getting to coach and mentor people who are also going to be spreading that culture change into the system. So you've got to wear a big pair of boots. But you have fun doing it. It's something that I think is very meaningful.

Dan Roberge
Love it. Awesome. How did you get into this?

Sasha Johnston
So I am an RN in my background.

Dan Roberge
Okay.

Sasha Johnston
My first job was working as a behavioral nurse. And so I worked in a secure unit with major neurocognitive disorder, and loved it. And so I just built up my expertise in nursing with anything to do with behavior. So behavior analysis and ABI, so a acute brain injury, mental health major neurocognitive disorder, and intellectual developmental disorder.

Dan Roberge
It's a complicated topic, but, it sounds like you know what you're talking about. Thank you. It was great talking to you, and enjoy the rest of the show.