Having Difficult Conversations: What to Say to Bullies: DS25 Session

In senior living communities where residents are in close proximity with one another, they can form cliques, exert power over others and bully. In recent years, this issue has garnered more attention, particularly because bullying among senior peer groups is on the rise. As some bullied victims choose to remain silent, there is no real way to find out how significant the problem is. And, often times, even when staff or peers intervene, the problem does not seem to go away.

This session will provide information that you need to know about senior bullying so as to take preventive measures or intervene on time. In this session, participants will be offered a brief overview of the definition, incidence, characteristics and types of senior-to-senior bullying. The impact of bullying is detrimental to the health and well-being of our seniors. Even one instance can have a lasting impact! Therefore, it is not enough just to define bullying communities need to know the warning signs, the physical and emotional impact, and what to do if it happens to them. Therefore, participants will be introduced to interventions they can apply to reduce bullying as well as specific and targeted recommendations for what staff and others can say to the bully to mitigate impact and minimize occurrence.

In this interactive session, participants will learn key evidence-based strategies for confronting and communicating with a bully. Approaches include empathy, questioning, confrontation, deontology, acknowledgement, and others. Several case examples will be offered with opportunities for participants to brainstorm approaches and dialogue about advantages and disadvantages of each approach. Many people struggle with what to say to a bully to stop their behavior. There is no one "right" answer to this issue. But at the conclusion of the session, participants will have additional tools in their communication toolbox.

• Analyze the prevalence, characteristics, and types of bullying behaviors occurring within senior living communities.
• Propose evidence-based preventative strategies to reduce the impact and occurrence of senior-to-senior bullying.
• Demonstrate targeted communication techniques and interventions designed to de-escalate bullying behaviors and prevent reoccurrence.

Cost: $59 for AHCA/NCAL Members I $69 for Non-members

1 NAB credit available upon completion.  

Instructions to Register:

• For optimal performance, please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari 14+. 
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• Once you are logged in to the website, you will be able to register by clicking the green register button at the top right of the page. 
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• If you are unsure if you are a member of AHCA, you can email update@ahca.org to confirm your membership status. 

Instructions to Begin, after registering: 

• To begin the training, click on the Contents tab.
• Participants can move throughout the lessons in the course by clicking on the header of each module to expand or minimize their view. 

Completion Deadline 

Individuals have until Oct. 31, 2026 to complete. After October 31st, 2026, this session will no longer be available to access or earn additional CEs.

Email educate@ahca.org if you need technical assistance.

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