NEW YORK, July 05, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), a non-profit organization founded to fill the gap that existed on a national level, assuring quality of care and excellence in service to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses and to their caregivers and families, is announcing the 20 recipients, in 15 states, of its Spring 2017 Bi-Annual Milton & Phyllis Berg Family Respite Care Grants, awarded to outstanding non-profit member organizations that share AFA’s mission of providing optimal care to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses, and their families.
The grants are named in honor of the deceased parents of Barry E. Berg, who has served on AFA’s board of trustees since 2004. The grants were created in response to the overwhelming need for respite care as a result of caregiving responsibilities. The $5,000 grants are also given out each Fall.
This year’s grant recipients include:
Austin Group for the Elderly dba AGE of Central Texas – Austin, TX
Alzheimer’s Respite & Resources, Inc. DBA Memory Matters – Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Alzheimer’s Orange County – Irvine, CA
Area Agency on Aging for North Florida – Tallahassee, FL
Community Adult Respite Experience, Inc. – Albemarle, N.C.
Payson Senior Center, Inc. – Payson, AZ
Visiting Homemaker Services of Passaic County, dba HomeCare Options – Paterson, NJ
Alzheimer’s Services of Capital Area – Baton Rouge, LA
Alzheimer’s & Dementia Services of Northern Indiana – South Bend, IN
County of El Dorado – Health and Human Services Agency – Placerville, CA
Conejo Valley Senior Concerns – Thousand Oaks, CA
Hope Dementia & Alzheimer’s Services (a program of HopeHealth, MA) – Hyannis, MA
Meals on Wheels Programs & Services of Rockland, Inc. – Nanuet, NY
OPICA Adult Day Program & Counseling Center – Los Angeles, CA
Alzheimer’s & Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin – Madison, WI
Northeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging – Hiawatha, KS
Southeastern Wake Adult Day Center – Raleigh, NC
Bethesda Health Group – St. Louis, MO
Lee-Russell Aging Foundation – Opelika, AL
Old Friends Club – Kirkland, WA
AFA regularly provides grants to its member organizations, so they can develop or enhance educational and support services, as well as support families in need in their communities. Offered in the spring and fall each year, the respite care grants are awarded via a competitive application process to AFA nonprofit members. An organization must use the $5,000 grant to provide scholarships to clients (individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia and/or their families) with financial or other needs for respite care services offered at the grantee’s own organization or another agency. Respite services include social model adult day programs, in-home aides, companion care, and overnight respite.
“These grassroots organizations in our local communities play a vital role in improving the quality of life for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and their families,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., president and CEO of AFA. “The organizations that were selected for these grants stand out as remarkable resources. I congratulate all the recipients and encourage them to keep up the great work.”
Some of the organizations that received the grants provide meaningful, art-centered activities to create positive cognitive experiences; others incorporate physical exercises led by mentors. Some organizations offer a variety of activities including arts and crafts, music therapy, and mental stimulation games. Other organizations provide caregiver education, brain boosters, yoga, meditation, computer classes for seniors, support groups and memory screenings.
AFA is able to provide this critical support as a result of the generosity of individual contributions, grants, sponsorships and AFA development activities. To help support these initiatives, please click here.
AFA member organizations interested in obtaining grant applications must log into the members-only area of the AFA Web site.
About Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA):
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, based in New York, is a non-profit organization that unites more than 2,600 member organizations nationwide in the goal of providing optimal care and services to individuals living with dementia, and to their caregivers and families. Its services include a national, toll-free helpline (866-232-8484) staffed by licensed social workers, educational conferences and materials, a free quarterly magazine for caregivers, the National Memory Screening Program, and “AFA Partners in Care” dementia care training for healthcare professionals. For more information about AFA, call 866-232-8484, visit www.alzfdn.org, follow us on Twitter, or connect with us on Facebook or LinkedIn.