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1991.06.25 :  Awards -- Project CARE (National Eldercare Campaign)

Contact:  Katie Miller (202) 245-2760
June 25, 1991

        HHS Commissioner on Aging Joyce T. Berry, Ph.D., today
announced the availability of $5 million in grants to states for
Project CARE (Community Action to Reach the Elderly), a
demonstration to build community coalitions to help older people
who are at risk of losing their self-sufficiency.
        Project CARE is part of the Administration on Aging's
recently launched National Eldercare Campaign--a nationwide,
multi-year effort to expand support for aging issues to sectors
of society which have not traditionally been involved.
        The Project CARE demonstration will provide financial
assistance for three sites in each state in the country.  Each
community, with the assistance of its respective State and Area
Agency on Aging, will develop a strategy to build  coalitions  of
organizations and individuals  whose primary agenda is not aging. 
These groups will provide new partners, ideas, and approaches to
mobilizing community resources and responding to the needs of
vulnerable older people.
        "Project CARE is at the heart of the Eldercare campaign,"
said Berry in announcing the demonstrations.  "It will build on
the aging network's successful coalition-building with aging
organizations and service providers.  State and area agencies
will 
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now add an additional constituency which will result in new
solutions and more responsive assistance to vulnerable older
persons.
        "Caring for older people begins first with the older
person and the family," said Berry.  "When self-care is no longer
possible for the older person, the national network of aging
organizations and agencies is available to help.  But, every
community also needs to mobilize its own talents--individually
and collectively--to improve the quality of life for every older
American.  Project CARE will augment already existing coalitions
by developing indigenous leadership to assume responsibility for
marshaling community-wide support.  Eldercare coalitions will
demonstrate that the public, private, and voluntary sectors can
mobilize around an eldercare agenda and cooperate effectively in
providing services for vulnerable older people."
        State Agencies on Aging were notified on May 8 that
Project CARE funds are available, and applications for the
demonstration funds were submitted to the Administration on Aging
by June 24.  Project CARE grants will be awarded by Sept. 30.


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