About AoA Alzheimer's Program
1992 - 2000
California Department of Health Services'
(CDHS) Alzheimer's Disease Program, $450,000 - collaborated
with the California Departments of Aging, Mental Health, and
Social Services, as well as with a coalition of public, private,
and voluntary agencies to develop the demonstration project.
The original goals were to develop and provide culturally and
linguistically competent educational, medical, social, and
supportive services for Hispanic/Latino dementia-affected persons,
their families, and caregivers. This was further expanded to
include service development in the African American community.
These dementia care networks are supportive of families through
community partnerships. In addition, an adult day services
institute was established to improve the quality of dementia
day care services in under-served communities. This is accomplished
through training, a resource library, and ongoing technical
assistance. An important primary health care linkage begun
in Year 6 has been the development of post-diagnostic Guidelines
for AD Management. This has been a unique collaborative effort
involving government, consumers, providers, academia, and the
community. Activities to promote the dissemination and implementation
of the Guidelines include multimedia coverage, provider training
and education, as well as the development of support tools.
District of Columbia Office on Aging,
$385,000 - Developed relationships with primary care organization
to improve the care provided to elderly Washingtonians suffering
from dementia. Provided a coordinated system of services to older
Washingtonians suffering from dementia. Served older people with
dementia who live alone and learn more about their special needs
and characteristics. As a final product, developed a manual and
video to educate providers and families on how to assist people
with Alzheimer's disease who live alone to remain independent and
safe.
Florida Department of Elder Affairs,
$490,000 - FAVOR (Florida Alzheimer's Volunteers Offering Respite)
used volunteers to assist minority or low-income persons with Alzheimer's
disease and their families or unpaid caregivers. Services provided
include adult day care, group respite, in-home respite, transportation,
screening and diagnosis, and personal care by certified home health
agencies. The majority of service hours were for center-based and
in-home respite. All volunteers and staff involved in the FAVOR
program are provided culturally-relevant Alzheimer's care training.
There is also a training initiative that outreaches primary care
providers to educate a expose them to the needs and concerns of
geriatric patients suffering from memory loss.
Georgia Division of Aging Services,
$271,288 - Seven-day care and in-home respite programs have been
developed in rural Georgia. This development included the creation
of mobile day care, which enables two communities to have their
own day care while sharing staff that travels between the two locations.
Additional projects have included: 1) a self directed care model,
where caregivers choose and make arrangements for services they
deem best meet their needs by use of vouchers, 2) assistive technology
and home modifications, and 3) a health and wellness project for
persons with AD and their caregivers which provides diabetes screenings,
osteoporosis screenings, blood pressure checks, and foot care.
Additional services provided through the grant include transportation,
homemaker services, and support groups. In all, more than 9,900
persons have received over 62,500 units of direct service.
Executive Office on Aging (Hawaii),
$217,000 - The project has funded and developed caregivers respite
programs and public health education programs for the public and
for the medical professional community as well. Three videos and
instructional booklets about Alzheimer's disease and caregiver
information were developed by the project. They are available in
English (Hawaiian style), llocano and Vietnamese languages. The
major service component of the program was the provision of in-home
respite services. The main service provider was Project Dana, a
volunteer caregiver respite program sponsored by Moiliili Hongwanji
Mission in Honolulu. Project Dana is a coalition of Buddhist temples
and Christian churches which serves approximately 250 families
yearly. It has continued to be the major provider of services throughout
the life of the project.
Maine Bureau of Elder & Adult Services,
$280,000 - Eighteen agencies around the state participated in the
project. Federal and State funded in-home respite is now available
statewide for Alzheimer's families. Overnight respite is also offered
at residential care facilities, nursing facilities, or at home.
Six Alzheimer's evaluation programs exist statewide to diagnose
and evaluate dementia. The six evaluation teams consist of a physician,
social worker, and often a nurse. Education, training and outreach
have been provided all over the state. Training was been provided
to residential care facilities statewide, adult family care homes,
staff of adult day programs, personal care assistants, hospital
staff and tenant service coordinators in housing projects. In all,
the Maine's Alzheimer's Project provided outreach to over 16,000
individuals and families; education to 6,922 individuals; and had
in-depth contact with 935 people.
Maryland Department of Human Resources,
$250,000 - provided services for ethnic minority and older people
with AD in rural areas and their families. Focused on the creation
of support groups in rural areas and on educating physicians about
diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Held annual caregiver's conference
and forged relationships with several primary care entities.
Michigan Department of Community Health,
$428,776 - Michigan developed dementia-capable adult day care,
in-home respite and other support services in 12 underserved regions
of the state, under the direction of regional community mental
health agencies. A key focus was interagency coordination at state
and local levels between mental health, aging, public health and
social service agencies and self-help organizations. The grant
facilitated the development of seventeen new dementia-specific
adult day/group respite programs and two new in-home respite programs.
It also expanded the capacity of thirteen in-home respite and five
adult day care programs to serve persons with dementia by expanding
eligibility criteria, improving staff/consumer ratios and providing
ongoing technical assistance and staff development in dementia
care approaches. Supportive services were developed and/or expanded
for people with dementia and their families in twelve regions of
the state (27 of Michigan=s 83 counties). More than 2000 families
enrolled in services and roughly 12,000 caregivers participated
in training. An Alzheimer=s Primary Care Initiative was implemented
during the second phase of the project in FY >96. Outreach and
education efforts were expanded to include health professionals
in primary care settings in order to improve the identification,
screening and delivery of medical and support services to health
care consumers with dementia. In addition a consumer satisfaction
tool is being developed to measure consumer satisfaction with in-home
and center-based respite services from the perspective of users
with dementia.
Montana Department Public Health & Human
Services, $272,000 - The Montana Alzheimer's Demonstration
Project plan is founded on the three goals established in 1992:
1) strengthen the family caregiver, specifically the Native American
family; 2) Strengthen the infrastructure of providers of service;
3) and provide educational opportunities to providers, caregivers
and the community. Services include day & in-home respite care,
education and outreach, case management. This project specifically
worked with the Crow and Blackfeet Indian nations.
North Carolina Department of Health & Human
Services, $252,904 - The demonstration began in 1993 with three
agencies providing in-home respite and two senior centers initiating
group respite programs. During the seven years of the grant in
North Carolina, 30 of the state's 100 counties have participated,
offering dementia-specific respite care, primarily targeting families
caring for persons with dementia in rural areas. Thirteen group
respite or adult day care/day health programs and 8 in-home respite
programs in rural or underserved areas were supported by the grant.
Cooperatively with area agencies on aging, sponsored 6 regional
one-day conferences on dementia care for paraprofessionals. Three
primary care centers sponsored or provided community education.
In addition, a curriculum for caregiver self-care was introduced
to the state collaboratively with NCSU Cooperative Extension.
Ohio Department on Aging, $370,000
- The Ohio Department of Aging initiated a customized statewide
toll-free telephone number which rings automatically into the nearest
Alzheimer's Association chapter office. This number is publicized
extensively through the media to reach all Ohioans. Through the
project, developed four family-centered care management programs
through a competitive RFP process at Alzheimer's Association chapters.
These four family-directed care management programs are linked
with Ohio's Community Health Centers to educate clinic staff regarding
AD and related disorders; the impact on the entire family; challenging
situations and behaviors; and the Alzheimer's Association itself.
Oregon Senior and Disabled Services
Division, $385,000 - Established a statewide toll-free Helpline/Alzheimer's
information and referral service. A satellite video teleconference
regarding legal/financial planning among families coping with AD
or related disorders was broadcast throughout the state for 4 years.
Eighteen Brookdale model group respite programs located throughout
Oregon were awarded start-up grants. Twelve are currently in operation.
More than 500 case managers and agency staff in Oregon's aging
network attended specialized dementia training (one 8-hour day).
A video user guide package comprised of the best educational videos
on diagnosis and treatment of dementia was created for and is being
disseminated to health care practitioners in rural and community
health care clinics. A managed care initiative to link managed
care system to families caring for Alzheimer=s patients with appropriate
support services. Finally, the "Best Friends" Initiative, an education
targeted to direct caregivers across all care settings including
private homes, nursing facilities, assisted living facilities,
adult foster homes and residential care facilities, was developed
and implemented.
Puerto Rico Governor's Office of Elderly
Affairs, $381,074 - Puerto Rico Alzheimer's Services Access
Program (PR - ASAP) has developed an island-wide system of support
services for caregivers and individuals with Alzheimer's. The demonstration
has provided the only dementia specific services on the Island
that include: 1) diagnosis; 2) institutional respite (1st year);
3) in-home respite with case management; 4) education and training;
5) support groups; 6) #800 information and referral help line;
7) Primary Health Care; Day Care Center.
South Carolina Department of Health
and Human Services, $368,000 - Project COPE (Care Options & Public
Education) was created under this grant. Over 2,500 families have
contacted Project COPE for information or assistance. More than
9,000 people have been impacted through outreach, education, training,
care management or respite services. Over 850 families have received
respite services through this project. The majority of the elders
with Alzheimer=s disease are female. Their mean age is 79.5 years.
The majority of families served lived in small towns or rural areas
and are cared for by adult children who live in the same household.
Through this project new services have been integrated into existing
systems and new partnerships have been developed. Additional state
funds have provided seed grants to local communities for the development
of new respite programs throughout the state. The Alzheimer=s Resource
Coordination Center was created within the Office of Senior and
Long Term Care Services which is guided by an Advisory Council
with members appointed by the Governor to represent 23 organizations.
The cooperative, collaborative approach to service development,
planning, and delivery has been a central component of the project.
Washington Aging & Adult Services Administration,
$357,000 - The purpose of the Washington State Alzheimer's Project
is to develop supportive services for persons with Alzheimer's
disease and their caregivers that are responsive to cultural values.
Four main projects operated with a focus on different target populations
including Chinese, Hispanic, Korean, and Native American. Special
features of the projects included; an Asian social day care program;
a multi-media dementia awareness campaign, adult day care services
and client advocacy for Spanish-speaking persons; a Native American
outreach coordinator and caregiver support group; and a Dementia
Support Center for the Chinese community providing education, consultation,
referral and linkage with diagnostic and home, community and residential
services. Core services of each project included: Training, on
dementia and cultural issues for service providers and caregivers;
in-home and out-of home respite care and related supportive services
(such as, translation, caregiver consultation, transportation),
access to an in-home dementia diagnostic evaluation through the
Alzheimer's Disease Research Center-Satellite Clinic Project/University
of Washington and the use of trained bi-lingual/bi-cultural interpreters.
A Primary Care Initiative, begun in July 1997, forged partnerships
with various health clinics, and an Alzheimer's Culture and Care
Conference, a telemedical training project, and a primary case
management project were undertaken.
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