HHS Announces AOA Grants for Alzheimer’s Disease Programs
HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson on June 28 announced more than $8 million in grants to 25 states as part of the Alzheimer's Disease Demonstration Grants to States program. The program, administered by the Administration on Aging, aims to "develop effective models of intervention to serve persons with Alzheimer's disease and their family caregivers." According to an HHS release, the funding will help "expand the availability of diagnostic and support services" and "improve the responsiveness of the home- and community-based care system" while focusing on "serving hard-to-reach and underserved people." Funding was granted to both existing and new programs. Listed below are the new ADDGS programs and their respective grant awards:
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Alabama Department of Senior Services will receive $350,000 to develop a system of care, including long-term care training, public education and community-based care services.
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Florida Department of Elder Affairs will receive $350,000 to develop the Support Through Alzheimer's Relief Systems program that will target "culturally underserved and rural Alzheimer's patients."
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Illinois Department of Public Health will receive $325,231 to target rural and limited English-speaking populations and to expand existing programs.
- Indiana Division of Disability, Aging and Rehabilitative Services will receive $300,000 to provide education resources and training and to develop a respite service using in-home video monitoring of Alzheimer's patients.
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Maryland Department of Aging will receive $266,943 to increase the number of rural care providers and implement a consumer-directed respite care model.
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Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs will receive $350,000 to provide access to Latino and African-American Alzheimer's patients through the Springfield Multicultural Alzheimer's Service program.
- Missouri Department of Social Services, Division of Aging will receive $350,000 to direct services to patients with Alzheimer's and related diseases.
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North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Aging will receive $350,000 to target rural and minority communities through the Caregiver Alternatives to Running on Empty (CARE) program that provides a family consultant service to improve access to respite care.
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Tennessee Commission on Aging will receive $350,000 to provide assistance to minority and low-income groups, as well as exploring the use of the Internet to assist families of Alzheimer's patients (HHS release, 6/28).
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