Denise L. Calhoun is a national board-certified distinguished teacher in language arts. She holds a master's degree in educational psychology from California State University, Northridge; a teaching credential from the Graduate Department of Education at the University of California, Los Angeles; and a bachelor's degree in history from the University of California, Los Angeles. Calhoun mentors new teachers for the Los Angeles Unified School District and is a master teacher for California State University, Northridge, where she trains candidates for their credential program. Her research focuses on gerontology and health care. She is pursuing her doctorate in organizational leadership from Pepperdine University.
Effective communication in eldercare settings enables better caregiving and enhances understanding and a sense of well-being in those cared for. Changing Seasons: A Language Arts Curriculum for Healthy Aging by Denise L. Calhoun provides families, caregivers, individuals, and program administrators with a language-based, interdisciplinary program to help older adults improve and maintain effective communication skills. In this volume, Calhoun illustrates a variety of strategies for effective communication with older adults and outlines a compact, easy-to-follow lesson plan for helping these people communicate and engage with the world around them. Each activity reveals new, creative, and fun ways to get individuals to speak, think, write, engage with others, and use their imagination. As activities described herein promote meaningful interactions and the creation of a stimulating environment, Changing Seasons underscores the importance of sustaining quality of life as we and those we love age.