2004

The U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) has announced over $6.78 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 $6.78 million funding allocation will support grants to twenty-four (24) new states and continuation grants to 14 states.

Descriptions of the 24 new projects and amounts of each award are listed below:

Alabama Department of Senior Services, $311,150: Improve direct services available to family caregivers by incorporating Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer Caregiver’s Health (REACH) evidence-based, in-home social and behavioral interventions; and improving Alabama’s overall system of care by incorporating the needs and preferences of persons with dementia into the State’s long term care system. The project will expand volunteer services to include Caring Teams that partner with faith based communities to provide in-home and supportive services to families, and through Leadership Institutes for Older Adults which provide systems advocacy and volunteer service.

Arizona Department of Economic Security, Division of Aging and Community Services, Aging and Adult Administration, $276,059: Build upon its Walk of Friendship model of assistance to address the need for care systems that are dementia-capable and culturally sensitive for individuals with dementia, their families, and their caregivers. The goals of the program are to expand culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate services and materials for persons with dementia and their caregivers and to improve coordination and service delivery of home and community based services at the state and local level.

Arkansas Department of Human Services, Aging and Adult Services, $281,150: The Focus on Families project combines models of direct care for underserved populations, use of faith-based and other volunteer organizations, plus innovative methods for improving access to services, information, and supports. The goal is to focus services/support at the home and community level for people with AD/related disorders and their family caregivers, develop additional services, and make access to services easier and resource information more readily available.

California Department of Aging, $311,150: Develop and expand culturally and linguistically competent services for Asian-American, dementia-affected families in Northern and Southern California. The project’s goal is to enhance the capacity of local health and social service providers to serve Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese dementia-affected families. The project’s strategy is to build community capacity through coordination of community-based collaborations; training for ethnically diverse professional providers; and service coordination for caregiving families via bi-cultural, paraprofessional Care Advocates.

Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities, $161,150: Implement the Delaware Memory Loss Screening Demonstration Project. The memory loss screening tool was developed by the University of PA Memory Loss Clinic and is a proven instrument to identify possible neurological problems. The project will target populations that are confronted with substantial barriers to accessing memory loss screening and support services. This is a community-based, education and service program that will bring memory loss screenings and dementia-related services directly to people in their communities.

District of Columbia Office on Aging, $263,768: The District of Columbia Office on Aging (DC OoA) plans to conduct a three-year program mobilizing the African American faith community to create community coalitions that elevate awareness of Alzheimer’s Disease and related disorders (ADRD) and increase utilization of services by African Americans. Goals include reaching African Americans who are not linked to services, testing an approach to link caregivers to direct services, and providing Montessori-Based Activities for Persons with Dementia (MBAP) at adult day care centers.

Florida Department of Elder Affairs, $311,150: Increase access to services for individuals with dementia, their caregivers and families residing in traditionally underserved rural, minority and culturally diverse communities. The project approach will emphasize collaborative partnerships among service agencies to minority, elderly and culturally diverse dementia clients and their caregivers in rural areas found in the nine service counties.

Indiana Bureau of Aging and In-Home Services, $311,150: Enhance support to the Alzheimer’s Disease caregivers in Indiana. The objectives of this project involve the expansion of the video monitoring technology that allows caregivers to monitor persons with Alzheimer’s Disease through video cameras and computer software from an off-site location. The Powerful Tools Training that “trains the trainer” will be offered statewide to Area Agency on Aging and state staff. Caregivers will learn how to take care of themselves, to access help and community services. Development of a Volunteer Respite Program that targets Alzheimer’s caregivers will further increase the support tools available. A volunteer coordinator will recruit community help to provide respite care. The availability of these support programs will enhance the support statewide for the caregiver.

Iowa Department of Elder Affairs, $311,150: Increase the capacity of Adult Day Health and Respite (ADR) providers to serve persons with dementia in rural settings and emerging minority populations with culturally appropriate service. Goals include: 1) convene statewide committee to evaluate and develop ADR training; 2) increase use of direct services for ADR care; 3) assessment and intervention services and staff education to ADR provided by a Memory Loss Nurse Specialist (MLNS); and 4) evaluate and develop culturally sensitive education, training materials, classes, and services.

Louisiana Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs, $311,150: Improve the responsiveness of Louisiana’s overall system of home and community-based care to the needs and preferences of persons with Alzheimer’s Disease and their caregivers. The major objectives of the partnership are to streamline access to information and services that support persons with Alzheimer’s Disease and their caregivers; increase consumer control in service options; empower individuals and their caregivers with increased skills and tools to self-advocate and manage needs; and increase services to the underserved through outreach to rural and minority residents.

Maine Dept of Human Services, Bureau of Elder and Adult Services, $297,121: Increase access to an array of services provided to caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s Disease in rural Maine through a collaboration between providers within Maine’s Home and Community Based Care System (HBCS), the Aging Network, and Real Choice System Change Initiatives. The project will expand the pilot caregiver companion program to rural counties and add mental health, end of life care and hospice referral services for clients/families affected by AD served by the HBCS and AAAs. The project will expand the focus of the ADRC’s to include family caregivers. Priority will be on increasing end of life care and hospice services in aging programs. Finally, the project will recognize direct care workers trained in dementia care in collaboration with the Direct Care Workforce Demonstration.

Minnesota Board on Aging, $311,150: The Minnesota Working Together project will implement systems change effort to connect the medical and community care systems to create an integrated service system for caregivers and individuals with dementia to increase dementia identification, assessment, treatment and caregiver respite.

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Division of Senior Services and Regulation, $230,523: “Empowerment Groups” will provide an innovative community respite model for individuals in the earlier stages of Alzheimer’s based on their capacity to self-direct care and supporting a sense of purpose and value for the individual. A security support program addressing difficulties with wandering behavior. “Staying Home” grant funding to expand care support options for those individuals in the later stages of a dementia. Contracting with the four (4) chapters of the Alzheimer’s Association, Missouri will strengthen the mounting movement towards strength-based care, responsiveness to individual philosophy of life and bolstering opportunities to remain in the home longer.

Nevada Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services, $311,150: Fund and coordinate four dementia-related service providers. These providers will target Nevada’s rural residents, those with early stage dementia, and both urban and rural under-served minorities. These and all other dementia-related services will be integrated into all home and community-based services (HCBS) networks through the Division’s computerized Single Point of Entry (SPE) system. SPE is based on a robust software platform (“SYNERGY”) that integrated databases, including those providing resources and referral options.

New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department, $311,150: Develop and implement respite care services, particularly community based adult day care, targeting underserved communities and tribes in rural New Mexico. ALTSDA will provide regional caregiver support services to be coordinated by Area Agencies on Aging throughout New Mexico. AAAs will employ regional care coordinators who will provide individual client services, training and advocacy. Care coordinators will receive many of their referrals from the ALTSD Aging and Disability Resource Center.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services, $311,150: Implement consumer-directed respite for dementia caregivers in ten counties. . The aging service delivery system will be bolstered by the integration of dementia-capable resources into the Family Caregiver Support Program, the new Aging and Disability Resource Centers, and the state long-term care plan. Products to be disseminated include dementia-specific materials on family decision-making and consumer-directed service use, guidelines on how to respond to caregiver anger, materials on rural and minority family care topics, visiting tips for faith-based volunteers, and a policy paper based on the grant experience and literature review.

North Dakota Department of Human Services, Aging Services Division, $261,150: ND Working Together project will build an alliance between the medical community, Parish Nurses, OAA and community services to increase dementia identification, treatment and caregiver respite with a special focus on rural areas and American Indian reservations. A University of ND dementia curriculum will train a pool of Qualified Service Providers (QSPs) with expertise in dementia care. Two medical systems will provide protocols, tools and training to the medical community to facilitate assessment, treatment and referral for enhanced respite services.

Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs, $294,050: Support RI’s Systems Change Initiatives, particularly the new ADRC, by developing and strengthening statewide resources for AD families, especially minority families and those at or near the poverty line. Changes in RI’s overall home and community-based system of long-term care will result from streamlining access to services and family caregiver support services for AD families. An interagency Project Advisory Group, comprising advocates and consumers as well as AD and aging professionals, will guide and oversee this three-year effort.

South Dakota Department of Social Services, Office of Adult Services and Aging, (1 year) $225,000: Identify the needs of individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementia and their paid and unpaid family caregivers. Once the needs have been identified, a coordinated system of care and training to meet these needs will be developed. A main focus of the planning committee will be the identification of the number of people with this disease who live in South Dakota, where they are located and measuring the effectiveness of the current support system. Training for paid and unpaid caregivers will be developed and a program that offers direct supportive services for caregivers will be a priority.

Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability, $311,150: Provide respite services for about 300 persons with Alzheimer’s Disease and their caregivers in five (5) counties. Implementation of the coping with caregiving REACH model in Tennessee; health promotion/disease prevention provided to Alzheimer’s caregivers in collaboration with the National Family Caregiving Support Program; a media campaign to assist the project; implementation of family directed care in the Tennessee Aging Services; exploration of potential program enhancements for Tennessee in-home services, making them more responsive to the needs of caregivers.

Vermont Dept of Aging and Independent Living, Division of Advocacy and Independence, $311,150: Develop and implement supportive, educational and/or direct service interventions for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (ADRD). The project will serve 450 households, targeting family caregivers with low incomes, caregivers residing in rural, underserved areas of the state and supportive services teams caring for people with ADRD and developmental disabilities. VT DAIL will link project activities to VT’s community based long-term system, enhancing existing services and developing new resources, such as case management and eldercare mental health within primary care practices; dementia care capable developmental service teams; and caregiver wellness and supportive services projects.

Virginia Department for the Aging, $311,150: Initiate three new projects to improve services to older Virginians and their families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (AD) and to better integrate Alzheimer’s disease programs into the long-term care services system. The first project will provide respite care to families caring for persons with AD. The second project will demonstrate the viability of the systems changes that will result from the development of a Comprehensive Virtual Center on Alzheimer’s Disease. The third and final project will initiate the development of affordable driver assessment and rehabilitation programs in Virginia targeted to drivers in the very early stages of AD. VDA will also reactivate the state-level Alzheimer’s Disease Response Task Force (ADRTF), created under the department’s first ADDGS grant, to provide ongoing guidance during the implementation and evaluation of the three objectives..

Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, Division of Disability and Elder Services, $311,150: Demonstrations of Memory Care Connections, a model of local collaboration aligning dementia services provided by diagnostic clinics, Aging/Disability Resource Centers, Alzheimer’s Association Chapters and service providers. The goal is to provide individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease with the information, medical diagnosis and management, caregiver support and services needed to achieve improved quality of life through closely connected local dementia services networks. Local sites will be funded to deploy nurses/social workers to link consumers with the dementia service network.

Wyoming Department of Health, Aging Division, (1 year) $150,000: Improve the coordination of outreach to, and services for, people with Alzheimer’s Disease/dementia and their caregivers. The goals are to better understand the need of AD families in Wyoming, increase knowledge bases regarding AD, raise awareness of available resources, and create a more effective, responsive network of services that strengthen community based in-home care recipients and support the needs of caregivers.

Continuing Grants

The following 14 states also received grants for their continuing efforts to serve persons with Alzheimer’s disease. Descriptions of the projects are listed below:

Colorado State Board of Agriculture, Colorado State University, $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.

Connecticut Department of Social Services, Division of Social Work and Prevention Services, $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, $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.

Kansas Department on Aging, $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.

Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services, $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.

Michigan Department on Community Health, $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.

Mississippi Department of Mental Health, 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.

Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Aging and Disability Services, $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.

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.

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.

Puerto Rico Governor’s Office for Elderly Affairs, Education and Training Division, $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.

Utah Department of Human Serivces, Division of Aging and Adult Services, $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.

West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services, $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.

AoA Alzheimer’s Web page
The AoA Alzheimer’s Resource Room is a web-page 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.