Meet Susan Kohler of Connected Hearts

Today we’d like to introduce you to Susan Kohler.

Susan, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist working in southern California for over 25 years and in my practice, I have always been an advocate for Seniors, fascinated by their marvelous stories of wisdom and life lessons, and more strongly, a compassion for working with those individuals living with dementia. I believe the delicate art of communication is the primary most integral solution to overcoming difficulties in coping with dementia for the caregiver and the person in their care.

Making connections with loved ones is first and foremost the critical key component to create harmony, peace, and love in any relationship. A life defining moment came for me when, working at a skilled nursing facility, I came upon a woman sitting in a wheelchair babbling incoherently, woefully disregarded. People brushed past her hurriedly, not caring to notice a forlorn, obscure figure, in desperate need of human interaction. At one moment, our eyes met, and instantaneously, I felt deeply empathetic. I wished to hear a friendly “good morning”, and the woman immediately radiated joy responding by saying “thank you” as clear as a bell, with genuine warmth.

This deeply heartfelt incident focused my career path to recognize how Seniors, our very own parents that have sacrificed their own lives to raise us, were too easily neglected and callously abandoned. From that moment on, I wrote and published “How to Communicate with Alzheimer’s” and I began holding interactive workshops, presentations, and seminars to teach families and healthcare professionals how to appropriately master and implement good communication practices that create safety and cooperation with daily care.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
At times it has been a challenge to convince individuals and organizations that “Communication” is the foundation of care when caring for those living with dementia. It is now well documented that family caregivers report that the biggest burden in their caregiving, is the breakdown in communication. Even in society today, we pay little attention to using good communication practices with one another with our constant distractions of electronic devices.

The good news is that the feedback on my book and my workshops is so positive. The participants in the interactive workshops, find them enjoyable, joy and laughter literally fill the room. People tell me they have become greatly inspired to start connecting with someone every single day. Families say they no longer dread interacting with their aging parents, they approach their roles enthusiastically to relate to their aging loved ones in ways they never thought possible.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Connected Hearts provides unique, experiential training programs that unleash the power of communication in making meaningful, emotional connections with persons living with dementia. The participants come from all walks of life, sharing a common desire to connect with someone with dementia in their care, in their families, in their daily encounters. The communication practices trained in the workshops are based on my book “How to Communicate with Alzheimer’s”.

“How to Communicate with Alzheimer’s” was the first book to focus on the importance of communication and provide practical strategies for using communication practices to create safety and cooperation with daily care. Our workshop is interactive, participants try out the strategies with each other, share their thoughts, and troubleshoot solutions to common issues with caregiving. Participants learn that good communication practices are, in and of themselves, the means to forge genuine, meaningful and lasting connections with one another, and positivity tap into a greater, universal appreciation of life.

The pursuit of happiness is a uniquely human characteristic, this human characteristic, or need, if you will, does not diminish with the presence of underlying conditions that can impair an individual’s ability to communicate. Utilizing innovative communication strategies and training, we can reach out and facilitate the connection needed for safety and wellness with daily caregiving.

What were you like growing up?
My father was probably the biggest influence in my life. He was a masterful storyteller, I loved to listen to him tell tales and jokes, they were so colorful. I enjoyed the connection we had. When he spoke to you he showed you respect and gave you the feeling you were the most important person in the room. I see now that reaching out to seniors, especially those with a faltering ability to initiate making a connection, is giving back what my father did for me, connecting with individuals and letting them know, they are worthy and much loved.

My fascination with making ‘connections’ is also fueled by my love of creativity. I am fortunate to work as an actress, singer and writer. Any media will find its way to connect with other human beings. I think of having an artist’s palette, each color represents one of my many interests.

Contact Info:

• Website: conncectedheartsllc.com
• Phone: 310-285-8309
• Email: [email protected]

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