President & CEO
With Your Help, CaringKind Receives $1 Million Award to Develop New Services!
In July, CaringKind received a prestigious, three-year, $1 million award from the Administration for Community Living, a department of Health and Human Services.
This project brings new services to New York City residents affected by Alzheimer’s or dementia living at home. These awards pilot new programs to fill gaps in services for special populations including family caregivers, people with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias who live alone, and individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are at risk of developing a dementia.
Stephani Shivers, CaringKind’s new Chief Innovation Officer, will lead the initiative. According to Stephani, “The CaringKind Connects project includes a suite of new, innovative early-stage programs, as well as individualized services for family caregivers with training for today’s challenges as well as preparations for the future. Evidence-based interventions must be included in the project, and incorporating these new programs into CaringKind’s portfolio will only help us better serve the families who seek our services.”
Our initiative includes:
REACH-II
The REACH-II program helps caregivers to manage stress, deal with distressing behaviors, develop formal and informal support networks, while improving caregiver health and wellbeing. REACH provides assessment, education, skills training, referrals, problem-solving strategies, and support around 9 topics: Home Safety, Using Social Support, Managing Stress, Pleasant Things for You, Healthy Living, Understanding Your Feelings, Skillful Communication, Relating Memory Problems to Behaviors, and Legal and Medical Information.
Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST)
CST is an evidence-based intervention for people with mild to moderate dementia, developed in the U.K. and now widely used around the world. A 7-week, 14 session small group virtual or in-person meeting offers engagement and discussion on specific themes and draws on reality orientation, reminiscence therapy, validation therapy and multisensory stimulation.
SHARE
SHARE is an evidence-based care planning and counseling program for people living with early-stage dementia and their caregivers. SHARE stands for: Support care partners and help them communicate effectively and plan for the future; promote Health and well-being and decrease stress; encourage participation in fulfilling Activities; learn about available Resources that reflect care partners’ values and preferences; provide Education about dementia and how to manage changes that lie ahead.
To Whom I May Concern®
To Whom I May Concern® is an interactive reader’s theater program in which people in the early stages of dementia create a script of their own stories and experiences, expressing their fear, anger, frustration, hope and determination — often with humor and love. Scripts are then performed by group members to family members, friends and invited guests with a talk back session for a transformational experience.
These programs won’t be ready for participants until 2022, so please don’t call the Helpline yet. We’ll announce the launch of these programs by way of this newsletter, email, and social media. Stay tuned for more information!