Washington, DC, April 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2024
Community Care Corps Helps Caregiving Organizations with New Resources
As the older adult population grows, so does the need for support services
ST. LOUIS – This year’s National Volunteer Week, April 21-27, is an opportunity to raise awareness about the many benefits of volunteering and the importance of supporting these initiatives. The Oasis Institute and its partners Altarum, Caregiver Action Network, and USAging entered into a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to develop a new informative tool for designing and implementing nonmedical volunteer programs to assist family caregivers, older adults, and adults with disabilities to maintain independence.
The new free public tool, called the Community Care Corps Effective Elements Library accessed here is an extensive guide that includes resources and practices utilized by organizations across the country in the development and implementation of their successful nonmedical volunteer assistance programs.
“Caregiving is a priority for Oasis because the need is so great. The number of aging adults who wish to maintain their independence, health, and well-being is growing rapidly,” said Juliet Simone, MPH, MBA, chief program officer, Oasis. “Too many current and future caregivers may not have all the tools needed for success.”
The Effective Elements Library provides an additional layer of support for volunteer-based programs, addressing how to eliminate missteps and ensure success. The Library offers a plethora of information that can be easily implemented by caregiving organizations to develop and right-size their own nonmedical volunteer programs to assist family caregivers and their care recipients.
At the St. Louis-based Oasis Institute, with resources across the U.S., nearly 13.7 million hours have been tracked to date by its dedicated volunteers who provide invaluable support for healthy aging activities. Community Care Corps, with its 109 past and current grantees across the U.S., has logged over 140,000 hours of volunteer assistance providing invaluable support to older adults, adults with disabilities and family caregivers. Even just two volunteer hours per week has been shown to help support healthy aging among the older population. Both the older caregiver and the person needing support benefit from the experience.
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About Community Care Corps
In September 2019, the Administration for Community Living awarded a 5-year cooperative agreement to the team of the Oasis Institute, Caregiver Action Network, USAging, and Altarum to launch Community Care Corps, a national, federally funded grant program that funds and evaluates innovative local models designed to assist family caregivers, older adults, and adults with disabilities in maintaining independence by providing nonmedical volunteer assistance in home-based or community–based settings. As of December 2023, through Community Care Corps grants, community-based organizations across the country have provided volunteer assistance to over 24,000 older adults and adults with disabilities and more than 6,700 family caregivers supported by 9,800 volunteers. Learn more here.
About Oasis Institute
The Oasis Institute is a national nonprofit organization that promotes healthy aging through lifelong learning, wellness programs and volunteer engagement. Founded in St. Louis, Missouri in 1982, Oasis has a national membership of 360,000 adults and serves 52,000 people annually through partnerships in 250 communities. For more information, visit www.oasisnet.org or call 314-862-4859 x 24.
About USAging
USAging represents and supports the national network of Area Agencies on Aging and advocates for the Title VI Native American Aging Programs that help older adults and people with disabilities live with optimal health, well-being, independence and dignity in their homes and communities. USAging is the only organization that represents the nation’s 616 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and more than 280 Title VI Native American Aging Programs that serve millions of older adults, persons with disabilities and their caregivers. USAging is dedicated to supporting the success of our members through advancing public policy, sparking innovation, strengthening the capacity of our members, raising their visibility, and working to drive excellence in the fields of aging and home and community-based services. Learn more here.
About Caregiver Action Network
Caregiver Action Network is the nation’s leading family caregiver organization working to improve the quality of life for more than 90 million Americans who care for loved ones with chronic conditions, disabilities, disease, or the frailties of old age. CAN serves a broad spectrum of family caregivers ranging from the parents of children with significant health needs, to the families and friends of wounded soldiers; from a young couple dealing with a diagnosis of MS, to adult children caring for parents with Alzheimer’s disease. CAN reaches caregivers on multiple platforms. CAN (the National Family Caregivers Association) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing education, peer support, and resources to family caregivers across the country free of charge. Learn more here.
About Altarum
Altarum is a nonprofit organization focused on improving the health of individuals with fewer financial resources and populations disenfranchised by the health care system. Altarum works primarily on behalf of federal, state, and local government entities in planning and implementing vital public health and health care service delivery programs. Rooted in public-sector innovation since 1946, Altarum combines its expertise in public health and health care delivery with technical assistance, practice transformation, training, quality improvement, applied research and analytics, health and science communications, data modernization and interoperability, and technology development and implementation. Altarum’s innovative solutions and proven processes lead to better health for all. Learn more here.
About Administration for Community Living
In 2012, the Administration for Community Living was created around the fundamental principle that older adults and people of all ages with disabilities should be able to live where they choose, with the people they choose, and with the ability to participate fully in their communities. By funding services and support provided primarily by networks of community-based organizations, and with investments in research, education, and innovation, ACL helps make this principle a reality for millions of Americans. Learn more here.
Media Contacts:
Judy Goodman, Lents Mazur & Associates, jgoodman@lentsmazur.com, (314) 795-8264
Peggy Lents, Lents Mazur & Associate, plents@lentsmazur.com, (314) 973-3186
