Welcome!

AVO Austrian Red Cross Vienna and AVO Caritas Vienna are pleased to invite you to a Validation Symposium at the Kardinal König Haus. Validation Masters, -Teachers and -Presenters are warmly invited to attend the International Meeting in Austria.

Programme 2026

Day 1:
Validation Symposium: Walking in someone elses's shoes
Friday, October 16^th 2026, 9am - 4pm

We invite you to explore the target group of Validation from a modern perspective together with international experts and Validation Masters. Together with practitioners from gerontopsychiatry, we will address the question of how Validation can effectively support people with gerontopsychiatric conditions. Furthermore we will present organisations that have successfully integrated Validation into their care concepts.

The Symposium is aimed at professionals who want to familiarise themselves with Validation for the first time or to deepen their knowledge and explore its potential for high-quality support of elderly people.

Programme highlights include:

• The Wonderful World of Understanding in Validation and Gerontopsychiatry – When Behaviour Is A Message with DGKP Christine Ottinger BScN (AUT) and Violeta Koppensteiner, Validation Master (AUT) 
• Hypnosystemic Communication Techniques with Dr. Christian M. Neuhauser, Head of the Specialist Outpatient Clinic for Neurocognitive Disorders, University Hospital St. Pölten (AUT)
• Best Practice in Austria – Lower Austria Nursing and Care Home in Wiener Neustadt (AUT)
• Cabaret Workshop with Hildegard Nachum, Validation Master (AUT) and Alina Nachum, Validation Presenter (AUT) encouraging reflection
• Encountering People in Their Personal Reality with Vicki de Klerk-Rubin, Validation Expert (NLD) and Hedwig Neu, Validation Master (GER)

POSTER PRESENTATION

Inspired by the motto “Validation according to Naomi Feil – Making Good Practice Visible”, all participants are invited to display a poster as part of the Symposium. Information and submission (including a short content description) should be sent to Andrea Stöckl: a.stoeckl@wrk.at 
(submission deadline: August 31^st 2026)

Fee: EUR 90,- per person

Day 2:
International Meeting of Validation Masters/ -Teachers/ -Presenters
Saturday, October 17^th 2026, 9am - 4pm

The International Meeting is a long standing tradition of collegial exchange among European Validation Masters, -Teachers and -Presenters. The meeting provides an opportunity for professional and personal exchange and enables participants to compare current developments and strategies in the teaching of Validation. Achievements and successes can be acknowledged and celebrated together.

Please note: The International Meeting is exclusively intended for Validation Masters, -Teachers and -Presenters. Participation is limited to this target group. 

Programme highlights include:

• Welcome by Andrea Stöckl (AVO Red Cross Vienna, AUT) and Carina Lengauer-Schrenk (AVO Caritas Vienna, AUT)
• Warm-up – Trio PMP: „Eurovision’s Validation“ (AUT)
• World Café on the following topics:
  • Training of Validation Practitioners (experiences and current requirements)
  • Validation in the context of people with disabilities and dementia
  • Validation for younger people with dementia
  • Validation in supporting relatives and caregivers
• Spotlight on the countries. All participants are invited to present key highlights, events and successes of Validation from their respective countries in their own creative way. Further information will be provided after registration.

Fee: EUR 60,- per person 

Combination ticket 2026:
Are you a Validation Master, -Teacher or -Presenter and would like to participate on both days?
Then make sure to get your Combination Ticket at a special rate of EUR 130 per person.

We are looking forward to an interesting exchange!

Please note: Employees of Caritas Vienna are requested to register via the internal training programme.

For any questions or if you require assistance with registration, please contact: validation@caritas-wien.at 

Please confirm our cancellation policy:
After booking, the full course fee is payable upon receipt of the registration confirmation. If participation is no longer possible, cancellation must be via e-mail (validation@caritas-wien.at). No cancellation fees apply up to two weeks before the event (until October 1^st 2026). Cancellations made between 14 and 7 days prior to the event (October 2^nd to 8^th 2026) will incur a 50% cancellation fee. Cancellations made one week before the event (from October 9^th 2026), on the event day itself or in case of non-attendance will be charged at 100% of the participation fee.

Please confirm our data protection policy.