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Karen Stobbe & Mondy Carter

In a Nutshell

Former actress and improviser Karen Stobbe, along with her husband Mondy Carter, revolutionized dementia care training by founding In the Moment, a company that teaches family members and healthcare staff to use improvisation guidelines to respectfully connect with and affirm the reality of persons living with dementia.

About Karen & Mondy:

Karen Stobbe is an author, educator, and former actress who pioneered the use of improvisational theater techniques to train dementia caregivers. Her unique approach was born when she realized the surprising similarities between the rules of improv (like “Yes, and…”) and effective caregiving, particularly while helping her father and then her mother, Virginia, who both lived with Alzheimer’s disease. Karen and her husband, actor and improviser Mondy Carter, co-founded the training company In the Moment (and the companion free resource website beinginthemoment.org). Their philosophy centers on “accepting the reality given to you” by the person with dementia, rather than correcting them, which leads to fewer conflicts and more joyful connections. The duo is internationally known for providing hands-on training, keynote speeches, and educational materials to family members and healthcare professionals around the world. Their work emphasizes skills like being fully present, listening, and maintaining humor. Karen and Mondy have presented their insights through a popular TEDMED Talk and continue to perform their educational show, “Sometimes You Gotta Laugh,” which focuses on using humor to cope with the challenges of caregiving and dementia. Karen’s methodology has been highly influential, even contributing to the content for the “Hand in Hand Training Toolkit” produced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and distributed to nursing homes across the United States.

 

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