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Dementia Care Grant Programs

Dementia affects more people as expected lifespans increase. Dementia is a condition that comprises a number of different disorders. One of the most common forms is Alzheimer's disease. Other types of dementia include vascular dementia and Pick's disease. All forms of dementia are characterized by confusion and short-term memory loss. There are some variations in other symptoms according to causal factors. Dementia has serious cost implications as sufferers require increasing amounts of care as the condition progresses.

  1. Partners in Care

    • Day care provides respite for caregivers.

      Partners in Care: The Dementia Services Program was created in 1992 by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). It built on a previous project, called the Dementia Care and Respite Services Program (DCRSP), which was a national program in which $2.5 million was spent on day centers for people with dementia and other chronic conditions. The project aimed to encourage other funding for day centers.

    State Projects

    • States and cities run day projects, which are funded in a fragmented way. The funding may come from Medicaid, a mix of federal and state funding, social security block grants, or money granted through the Older Americans Act and local Veteran Affairs grants. New York alone has at least 100 projects providing daytime care to people with dementia.

    Dementia Respite Programs

    • Dementia respite programs are funded through state and federal funding and aim to assist caregivers so they can continue to look after a relative with dementia. This respite care may take the form of in-home care services, where a caregiver comes in to allow the relative to have some free time. Adult day services are another option, where the dementia sufferer can attend a day center and the caregiver can have some time off.

    Research

    • Continuing research into dementia is crucial for future generations of elderly people. The International Alzheimer's organization, established in 1982, has awarded more than $265 million in grants.

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