Summit County Public Health (SCPH) was recently awarded a one million dollar grant from the Federal Administration on Community Living – Alzheimer’s Disease Program Initiative to Communities. SCPH selected Summit DD and several other partner agencies “…to enhance and strengthen existing dementia capable home and community based services in Summit County and address the dementia-care program gaps,” according to the SCPH press release.
The program gaps include:
- Delivery of services to persons living alone with known or suspected Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD).
- Improving the quality and effectiveness of programs and services dedicated to individuals aging with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) with ADRD or those at risk of developing ADRD.
- Delivering behavioral symptom management training and expert consultation services to family and caregivers using evidenced based programming with a focus on impacting disease progression, quality of life for the caregiver and the person with dementia and functional decline.
“This partnership will help us gain knowledge on how dementia impacts the lives of people with disabilities and their caregivers. We have a core group of twelve Summit DD staff and community disability providers known as “mentors” completing over 15 virtual hours of focused dementia training. With this knowledge, the mentors will enhance how we address people with dementia in managing their changing needs, maintaining skill levels, aging in place and end-of-life care supports. We will sustain dementia knowledge throughout the disability community by incorporating “Dementia and I/DD” training modules into annual and new staff training. Additionally, the grant partners will offer educational trainings throughout the state of Ohio during the grant period,” according to Summit DD Senior Manager of Service and Support Administration, Jennifer Hudak.
Other partner agencies that are participating in the grant include: Direction Home Akron Canton Area Agency on Aging, Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority, Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, the Ohio Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program at Northeast Ohio Medical University, the Ohio Council for Cognitive Health and Smile Minded Smartworks, LLC.
