2003

The U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) has announced over $12 million in funding for grant projects to develop innovative models of care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and their family caregivers. Starting July 1, the $12 million funding allocation will support grants to seven (7) new states and continuation grants to 32 states.

Descriptions of the 7 new projects and amounts of each award are listed below:

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, Division of Social Work and Prevention Services, Hartford, CT - $250,000 – To provide community outreach, awareness, clinical and supportive services to persons in various stages of Alzheimer’s disease and their families in low-income, rural, and ethnic/cultural communities. Population specific brochures, evaluation/assessment tools, training manuals, and treatment manuals will be distributed to social service/health care agencies and non-traditional agencies like faith communities, ethnic/advocacy organizations, etc.

IDAHO COMMISSION ON AGING, Boise City, ID - $320,348 – To provide a network of services and a single point of entry for people with Alzheimer’s Disease and their families through the “Stand By You” Program. Supportive services will include a ‘Family Advisor’ for the caregiver, monthly orientations to Alzheimer’s Disease, nine-week in-depth training courses for individuals, couples and family members, and responsive paid and informal respite and companion services and dementia-specific training for providers.

CABINET FOR HEALTH SERVICES, Frankfort, KY - $212,970 – To increase awareness of dementia and utilization of services by the African-American community. This program will offer dementia diagnostic services for African-Americans in their communities and offer two separate services through local churches: 1) support groups and 2) a Best Friends care program.

GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF ELDERLY AFFAIRS, Baton Rouge, LA -$150,000 (1 year) - To develop a pilot program that will provide after-hour adult care services to individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementia through the Comprehensive Alzheimer’s Care Program. Program will provide a safe and stimulating environment for individuals with AD and other related dementia. Program will also serve as a community-access point for education and free information materials on various aspects of Alzheimer’s Disease.

NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Division of Aging and Disability Services, Lincoln, NE - $326,000 - To provide consumer-directed services to persons with AD and their caregivers in diverse underserved segments of Nebraska. Program will offer mental health services, individual volunteer mentors and expanded training and education to caregivers suffering from mental distress, as well as direct financial support in the form of vouchers. Program will also work to enhance efficiency of statewide voluntary health organizations for Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, and Parkinson’s diseases.

GOVERNOR’S OFFICE FOR ELDERLY AFFAIRS, Education and Training Division, San Juan, P.R. - $300,000 - To provide a comprehensive home-based support service model for Hispanic Persons with Alzheimer Disease (AD) and their caregivers. Participants will have available a variety of respite services, home health care, companionship, homemaker services and case management, as well as information and training to strengthen their skills and well being. Advisory Council will play an active role in planning, implementation and evaluation activities.

STATE OF UTAH DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, Division of Aging and Adult Services, Salt Lake City, UT - $300,000 -To increase access to community-based respite services and develop a system of in-home respite care that is volunteer driven for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and their caregivers in rural areas of the state and/or minority communities. Program will develop relationships with diverse organizations and faith based programs to mobilize and train volunteer respite companions.

Continuing Grants

The following 32 states also received grants for their continuing efforts to serve persons with Alzheimer’s disease. Descriptions of the projects are listed below:

Alabama Department of Senior Services, Montgomery, AL - $350,000 – to develop a system of care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease including providing training to long term care providers, public education and community-based care services. Includes the development of a Leadership Institute for Long Term Care, and volunteer care teams to expand community-based supportive services.

Alaska Department of Administration, Commission on Aging, Juneau, AK, $350,000 – to address local, regional and state needs of persons with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers living in isolated communities with high concentrations of low-income and Alaskan Native families. Special focus is on developing flexible, culturally sensitive models of adult day care and group respite effective in minority and highly rural communities.

Arizona Department of Economic Security, Division of Aging and Community Services, Phoenix, AZ, $300,000 – to increase the availability and use of respite care, especially among Native American, Hispanic, and rural populations. The project will expand and develop culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate programs and materials for caregivers of persons with dementia.

Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services, Little Rock, AR, $302,875 – to develop models of assistance for persons with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers who live in rural areas of Arkansas. The project will focus on developing facility-based respite, providing dementia training for adult day care staff, and increasing the number of people who access adult day and respite services.

California Department on Aging, Sacramento, CA, $350,000 – to develop a system of dementia care for Asian and Pacific Islanders in the Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay area. The system will develop and provide culturally and linguistically competent educational, social, and supportive services for dementia-affected persons and their families.

Colorado State Board of Agriculture, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO - $350,000 - To increase the availability of home health care, companion services, support groups, and related services to individuals with dementia and their families in rural Colorado. Models of respite care provided by faith-based groups, civic organizations, and volunteers will be examined. The project will also develop and provide family and professional training about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Tallahassee, FL - $350,000 – to develop the Support Through Alzheimer’s Relief Systems (STARS) program to coordinate and develop resources, target culturally under served and rural Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers, conduct a culturally appropriate awareness campaign through faith-based institutions, develop a multi-cultural Alzheimer’s volunteer resource network, and establish a regional caregiver counseling hotline.

Illinois Department of Public Health, Springfield, IL - $330,349 - The Illinois Rural and Limited English Proficiency Populations Alzheimer’s Disease Demonstration Project will target rural and limited English proficiency elderly populations to expand and build on existing systems to coordinate and integrate services for persons with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and their families. State funded regional AD assistance centers, the Coalition of Limited English Speaking Elderly, and an Alzheimer’s Association chapter will collaborate on the project.

Indiana Division of Disability, Aging and Rehabilitative Services, Bureau of Aging and In-Home Services, Indianapolis, IN - $300,000 - The Indiana Alzheimer’s Disease Demonstration Grants to States Project will enhance attendance, provide educational resources and training for staff and program materials for consumers at Adult Day Services and develop a voluntary electronic respite service using in-home video-monitoring of persons with Alzheimer’s Disease. The project will also focus on rural and low-income populations, and develop culturally sensitive educational materials for consumers.

Iowa Department of Elder Affairs, Des Moines, IA, $351,00 – to increase access to and use of community-based support services using a nurse care managed delivery system for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Focus is on improving the service delivery system and making the community-based long-term care system more “dementia friendly.” Key projects include a statewide dementia training for case management, piloting a ‘Memory Loss Nurse Specialist’ position, validation of an instrument for guidance on when it is no longer safe to ‘live alone’, and an Early Hospice Referral Project for late stage dementia.

Kansas Department on Aging, Topeka, KS - $225,000 - To provide care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease by nurturing strengths in an environment that offers art and creativity through the development of an Arts and Inspiration Center. Project also will increase access through respite mini-grants that target rural and Hispanic elders. A statewide education and information campaign includes Breakfast Clubs to support and educate family caregivers.

Maine Department of Human Services, Bureau of Elder and Adult Services, Augusta, ME, $255,000 – to integrate dementia-specific services for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers into its long-term care system. Models will be developed to serve people with dementia who are enrolled in a rural Medicaid-coordinated/managed care demonstration program while incorporating mental health services for people with dementia.

Maryland Department of Aging, Annapolis, MD - $214,699 - The Maryland Alzheimer’s Disease Demonstration Project will expand the number of rural providers of dementia-competent care through developing microenterprises, or small businesses owned by low-income entrepreneurs. Work with faith-based providers will also be included in these efforts. In addition, the project will implement a consumer-directed respite care model to improve the responsiveness, efficiency and quality of care for people with dementia and their families.

Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs, Boston, MA - $350,000 - The Springfield Multicultural Alzheimer’s Services Project (SMAS) will provide access to appropriate information and services for Springfield’s Latinos and African Americans with Alzheimer’s disease and their families through multiple community and faith-based organizations.

Michigan Department on Community Health, Lansing, MI - $272,355 - To integrate various systems to improve care for persons with dementia. Test models of support services, focus on care coordination between physicians, families, and voluntary health organizations, improve education, training, and access to resources and information, and enhance the efficiency of statewide voluntary health organizations for Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, and Parkinson’s diseases.

Minnesota Board on Aging, St. Paul, MN, $270,061 – to develop at least five model community-based service projects, train home and community-based direct care workers in culturally appropriate approaches to dementia care, and to develop a community advocates resource “point of contact” in every county. Expand day care and other home and community based services in Native American communities.

Mississippi Department of Mental Health, Mobile, AL - $239,223 – To develop volunteer-staffed day respite programs with targeted outreach and service delivery to African Americans. Project will expand the capacities of existing in-home and group respite, homemakers, and personal care services, and to improve the long-term care workforce by providing educational training programs.

Missouri Department of Social Services, Division of Aging, Jefferson City, MO - $350,000 - The Missouri Coalition Demonstration Project will deliver direct services to persons challenged by Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders by creating and refining communication routes to extend services to diverse families throughout all areas in the state. Breakfast clubs and other family education and support services will be developed.

Nevada Division for Aging Services, Las Vegas, NV, $350,000 – to target under-served Native American, Hispanic and rural populations with dementia with telemedicine and caregiver training. Consumer directed care for persons in the early stages of Alzheimer’s and for those under age 65 who do not qualify for other forms of assistance will also be a focus of this project.

New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services, Division of Elderly and Adult Services, Concord, NH, $250,315 – to expand and improve dementia-capable adult day and respite care services in rural communities. The project will also improve access to services for minority populations through the development of culturally and linguistically competent services. Improve access and use of community-based services by persons with dementia by expanding the current home and community-based care system.

New Mexico State Agency on Aging, Santa Fe, NM, $350,000 – to expand personal care, adult day care and in-home respite services in a culturally appropriate way to address the needs of Hispanic and Native American populations. This project will also develop a culturally competent telemedicine approach for use in rural areas of the state.

New York State Office for the Aging, Albany, NY - $266,883 - To develop direct services to persons with developmental disabilities (DD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) designed to help them remain in family and group homes in their communities. The project will provide information, training, and support group services to family caregivers, and develop comprehensive professional training programs to create an AD/DD competent workforce.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Aging, Raleigh, NC - $350,000 - The Caregiver Alternatives to Running on Empty (C.A.R.E.) project will implement a family consultant service to improve the access, choice, use and quality of respite services and identify gaps and barriers in the existing North Carolina home and community-based care system. The project will target rural and minority communities.

Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Oklahoma City, OK - $338, 363 -To develop an in-home respite and companion visitation and support program using mentors and volunteers, working in teams, to provide direct home and community based services targeted to African American, Native American and rurally isolated populations. The project will train students to deliver specialized dementia care and support their on-the-job training program through mentors and on-site front line workers at adult day care and respite programs.

Pennsylvania Department of Aging, Harrisburg, PA -$349,012 -To develop the Pennsylvania Memory Loss Screening Program designed to create dementia screening and service delivery focused on serving Latino/Hispanic American, Asian-American, African American and rural Pennsylvanians will be developed. The project will target the integration of medical and social support services. Facility based, in-home and overnight respite and adult day care are provided. The grant is also designed to serve people with early on-set dementia (before the age of 60) regardless of race.

Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs, Providence, RI, $283,000 – to develop a model of consumer-directed respite care, with a focus on care provided by and for minority elders. This project will also demonstrate a model of workforce development and develop an acuity-based assessment process for Alzheimer’s affected families.

Tennessee Commission on Aging - $350,000 - The Alzheimer’s Respite Services Demonstration project will provide assistance to minority and low-income groups and their caregivers. The project will also explore Internet use in assisting families of persons with Alzheimer’s Disease and caregivers. The experience of this demonstration will be adapted and replicated throughout Tennessee, thereby improving the responsiveness of the existing home and community based systems of care.

Texas Department of Human Services, Austin, TX, $265,532 – will develop a culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment process and system of care for Hispanic families who live in the San Antonio and Rio Grande Valley areas. Direct care service gaps will be addressed through development of culturally competent respite and adult day care.

Vermont Department of Aging and Disabilities, Waterbury, VT, $350,001 – to improve the capacity of Vermont’s adult day centers to deliver dementia-specific care, to develop support services for individual with early-stage dementia, and to increase early detection of dementia. A special focus is on developing services in rural areas and for low-income individuals.

Virginia Department for the Aging, Richmond, VA, $350,000 – to develop new models of care for persons with Alzheimer’s through holistic demonstration models which will address the service and health care and the persons emotional and spiritual needs. Certified nursing assistants will receive education and training in effective methods of dementia care.

West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services, Charleston, WV- $250,000 – To identify and address needs of rural West Virginia families struggling with Alzheimer’s disease. A dementia care component will be added to the required CNA curriculum. In-home respite grants will be awarded to aging network providers not currently offering respite services. Grants will also be awarded to enhance or establish daycare programs in rural communities. An improved, statewide, toll-free help line will be created, and merit badges in Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and the aging process will be developed for community and faith-based youth organizations.

Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, Bureau of Aging and Long Term Care Resources, Madison, WI, $350,000 – to create a Dementia Service Network to improve access to diagnosis, treatment and services for minority and underserved families. The Network will expand a service credit bank to provide adult day care, respite, and other community-based long-term care services. New Crisis Response Teams will address abuse of persons with dementia.

AoA Alzheimer’s Webpage
The AoA Alzheimer’s Resource Room is a webpage on the AoA website which provides information and tips to family members and caregivers providing care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease. The site also provides information, outreach, and service development strategies for professionals serving Alzheimer’s families. Many products and resources developed through the AoA Alzheimer’s Demonstration Program are listed, along with contact information for obtaining copies for local use. Family education and outreach materials in several languages, as well as community and facility-based Alzheimer’s care training manuals are among the highlighted resources. Links to information about important clinical trials as well as to caregiver resources should prove of interest to professionals and family members alike.

Additional Info
Additional information about the ADDGS program is available by contacting Lori Stalbaum at (202) 357-3452. Information about the AoA and programs and services it administers for older adults and their families is available on the web at: www.aoa.gov.