AWARE is proud to support nonprofit organizations that share our mission and dedication to fighting Alzheimer’s disease. Together with compassion and dedication we can make a difference.
OUR 2019-2020 GRANT RECIPIENTS
Salary support for the Baylor AT&T Memory Center to provide a trained care and support specialist onsite at the Center. By placing this valuable service at the point of care, patients and their families can receive disease education, caregiver skill training and support groups, elder law and financial planning, and a 24/7 helpline.
Support for the Casa de Vida program at NorthPark Presbyterian Church. This program provides respite relief to families and caregivers by providing trained volunteer one-on-one care to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias with programs involving art, music, games. Casa de Vida has more than doubled its program capacity with the addition of a second day of respite care allowing caregivers more time for rest or to tend to work and/or personal needs.
Support to produce a series of short video testimonials from 8 to 10 couples who were participants in the Center for Brain Health Discovery Group. They will collect personal insights, experiences, and advice from those who are living with Alzheimer’s Disease, as well as, friends, family members and the community at large giving a voice to those with the disease and underscoring their value and purpose in the community.
Support for funding of a postdoctoral fellow to conduct research on the differences in neuro-cognitive functions between younger adults and healthy aging adults, and how these functions can be enhanced for healthy aging adults through a study of the role of physical fitness and cognitive training as potential neuroprotective factors against cognitive decline in aging adults.
Support for Meaningful Moments a DMA program designed to provide participants with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and their families or caregivers with ways to engage in art providing a continuing cultural opportunity to everyone regardless of their ability. In its 10th year of successful of programming, Meaningful Moments now offers the educational experience both on and off-site for approximately 8 local care residences throughout each month.
Salary support of the Older Adults Program staff to provide in-home mental health counseling, care management, and daily living support services to 50 older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and 20 family members and caregivers allowing them to remain independent and living in their own home.
Support for Juliette Fowler Communities to spearhead collaboration with other city organizations to secure Dementia Friendly certification for the city of Dallas. The Dementia Friendly America initiative is a multi-sector, national collaboration of over 35 leading organizations that are catalyzing a movement and set of best practices to foster “dementia friendly” communities across the United States to improve opportunities and outcomes for a growing number of people with dementia, their families and care partners.
Support for the Senior Companions program matching trained volunteers with individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and their families needing assistance with meals, errands, and light housekeeping providing caregivers with respite and/or time to work outside the home. Senior Companions supports 89 volunteers providing 81,000 hours of caregiving and caregiver respite serving 131 clients and their families in Dallas.
Support of funds needed to implement Improv for Caregivers, a therapeutic and psycho-educational workshop that is free for up to 30 family caregivers per month in the Dallas community. Improv for Alzheimer’s/Dementia Caregivers is a fun interactive program that uses improvisational comedy techniques to teach effective communication skills that are specific the needs of an Alzheimer’s patient. The core principles encourage a new outlook of care, respect and dignity to the aging community.
In its 34th year, Texas Winds expects to give 1,866 concerts for 125,000 isolated seniors, hospital patients, hospice clients, veterans, and at-risk children. AWARE’s support for the Texas Winds Concerts for Seniors program provides concerts by professional musicians in each of 95 nursing homes and adult day care facilities serving individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias responding to their need for human interaction and bringing inspiration, joy, relief from isolation and peace to individuals affected by memory loss.
Support for development of a new diagnostic test to provide earlier and more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography has been investigated in preliminary studies and shown potential for identifying retinal changes in people having Alzheimer’s and those patients experiencing mild cognitive impairment. OCT-A will be evaluated as a sensitive marker in Alzheimer’s patients pointing to changes in the brain and retinal microvasculature that may predate the development of clinical symptoms by several years and hopefully identify patients who are developing Alzheimer’s disease even before the neuronal damage in the brain has reached on irreversible stage. Insights into microvascular changes hold promise to identify new targets for medication interventions.
Support for the Wilshire Baptist Church Friendly Friday Program. The program is one year old and addresses the need for those who care for a dementia relative at home and who have little or no assistance for relieving them of the constant care and supervision of the loved one. The program meets on the second and fourth Friday of each month except for July and August and includes singing, crafts, therapy animals, musicians, subject matter experts and more. One-on-one care is provided to the participants by 27 trained volunteers. Wilshire Baptist provides generously provides free meeting place and free nutritious hot lunches prepared by the church chef. Friendly Friday is free to the participants. The program currently touches the lives of 40 families and has a waiting list.
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Our Grant Recipients
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