Namaste Care International launched officially on 5th October 2018, with a one-day conference and celebration at Oatlands & Oatleigh Care Village in London, UK. Our second conference was held at the state of the art Ortus Centre which is associated with the Maudsley Trust. Delegates heard founder and honorary chair Professor Simard and practitioners from the UK and around the world speak of their experiences in delivering Namaste Care in a variety of healthcare settings. They also had the opportunity to take part in workshops targeted to specific healthcare settings. Other annual conferences took place in 2021 and 2021 with an online format, which helped us reach new teams and expanded our global audience. The online format allows people to join at their convenience without the need to travel we have had far more attendees as a result of not having to worry about squeezing everyone into a conference space. We have had some World renowned speakers leading the way in our field including DR. Michael Verde Memory Bridge and Naomi Feil Validation Programme.
The word ‘Namaste’ means ‘to honour the spirit within’ and Namaste Care honours the individual receiving its services. Developed and pioneered in the USA by Professor Joyce Simard, Namaste Care has two basic principles: a loving touch approach to all client interactions, and a calm environment.
Namaste Care International founder and honorary chair Professor Simard, comments: “Namaste Care helps people with advanced illness to live, not simply exist, for as long as possible. It improves the end-of-life experience for the person with a terminal disease, their families and carers. When I created Namaste Care in a Vermont veterans’ home in 2003, I had no idea to would be adopted around the world, so it’s very exciting to be in at the start of this new organisation.
Our NCI conference for 2023 promises to be our biggest and best yet with so many amazing speakers and experts from around the world coming together to celebrate and expand the impact of namaste across care settings
