— Administration for Community Living (ACL) grant will support respite service providers across the country to ensure services are dementia-capable, provide person-centered care —
CHICAGO, Feb. 5, 2024 — The Alzheimer’s Association was recently awarded $25 million over five years by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to make respite services and service providers more dementia-capable and provide the best person-centered care possible.
The five-year grant will establish a new Center for Dementia Respite Innovation (CDRI) led by Sam Fazio, Ph.D., senior director, psychosocial research & quality care, Alzheimer’s Association. Fazio will work closely with Joseph Gaugler, Ph.D., professor and director of the Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota and USAging.
“This grant provides an exciting opportunity to improve the quality and availability of respite care for more than 11 million Americans who are dementia caregivers,” Fazio said. “Providing dementia caregivers access to respite care can support and strengthen their ability to be good caregivers, while ensuring the person living with dementia is well cared for in a safe environment. The Alzheimer’s Association deeply appreciates the trust and confidence the Administration for Community Living has placed in us to lead this important work.”
Respite care provides caregivers a temporary rest from caregiving, while the person living with Alzheimer's continues to receive care in a safe environment. Respite care can be provided at home — by a friend, other family member, volunteer or paid service — or in a care setting, such as adult day care or long-term care community.
Beginning in June 2024, the CDRI will provide a maximum of 20 grants totaling $4 million annually for the next five years to respite providers. The CDRI will also provide online training and ongoing technical assistance to ensure that respite services are dementia-capable, especially in diverse and underserved communities. An important area of emphasis will be developing, testing and replicating new and innovative approaches to deliver dementia-specific respite services. A key outcome of the grant program is the development of a catalog of programs and resources aimed at improving the quality of life for people living with dementia and their caregivers.
Grant applicants will self-identify their key quality development and improvement goals as it relates to dementia care. That can include initiatives such as staff training, evidence-based intervention adoption, partnership development with a local healthcare or other community-based system, integration with faith-based organizations, expanded locations, flexible hours, and other areas of improvement.
According to the
2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers (PDF), gaps in the availability of and access to respite can be significant, adding to the stress and burden of unpaid caregivers. Respite care is often costly, and with limited availability in many communities, caregivers are frequently left with responsibility for the bulk of the expenses. This grant and the sub-grants it will generate will result in the development and piloting of cost-efficient, effective, strengths-based, person-centered, innovative models of dementia-specific respite care.
Requests for applications will begin in March 2024 and applications are due May 2024. Specific information on the application process will be available in early 2024. For more information, visit
alz.org/CDRI.
About the Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia®. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.
About USAging
USAging is the national association representing and supporting the network of Area Agencies on Aging and advocating for the Title VI Native American Aging Programs. Our members help older adults and people with disabilities throughout the United States live with optimal health, well-being, independence and dignity in their homes and communities. For more information, visit usaging.org.
About the the University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota is one of the most comprehensive universities in the US with more than 370 fields of study and over 65,000 students. The School of Public Health is among the top schools of public health in the nation. The School has strong links to the community as well as around the globe and has ranked in the top ten among public university schools of public health in total grants and contracts. Visit sph.umn.edu.