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New York State Alzheimer’s Disease
Demonstration Grant Program

The diagnosis of dementia is often a precursor to institutional placement, even in communities with well-organized long-term care central-assessment systems. This may be related to a lack of appropriate training and experience with successful assessment and care-packaging techniques. In order to develop and test strategies and systems to address these needs, the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) successfully applied for a three-year Alzheimer’s Disease Demonstration Grant funded by the federal Administration on Aging and the New York State Department of Health (DOH).

The goal of the grant is to develop a sustainable infrastructure for the delivery throughout New York State of an evidence-based Alzheimer caregiver support and education program: Family Connections.

The objectives of the grant are:

1. To establish four Regional Alzheimer’s Association Chapters as “hubs” for the implementation of the Family Connects intervention.
2. To develop and pilot test training and technical assistance replication materials.
3. Through training, to develop a local workforce/expertise resulting in:
   1. 4 (total 16) master trainers in Family Connections in each of four regional Alzheimer’s Association chapter hubs;
   2. 100-150 leaders for Family Connections.
4. To successfully offer Family Connections to12 3,500 family caregivers.
5. To develop a low cost, locally managed program fidelity approach.
6. To ascertain:
   1. if outcomes of statewide delivery of Family Connections replicate those previously reported for the program,
   2. if the program may be delivered with fidelity,
   3. if from both a cost and implementation perspective the program is sustainable and
   4. if participants in the program continue living in the community.

NYSOFA is the lead agency for the administration of this grant, which is being implemented in Oneida and Fulton Counties. The project is testing the implementation of strategies to sustain people with dementia and their families through a long-term care point-of-entry system, and will also test methods of assisting limited-English-speaking and rural populations. The project will conclude in 2007-2010. Findings from the project will provide dementia service protocols to NY Connects, which is New York State’s initiative to begin development of a long-term care point-of-entry system. Results were disseminated through two regional conferences and online in 2008.

The project is being implemented through a partnership with the New York State Department of Health, the State University at Albany’s Center for Excellence in Aging Services, the Alzheimer’s Associations in Northeastern and Central New York, the Alzheimer’s Disease Assistance Centers, and the Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) in Oneida and Fulton Counties.

Accomplishments / Status

• Each project site is assisting approximately 100 persons with dementia and informal caregivers with direct services, which may include case management, in-home services, respite, day care, and/or environmental modifications.
• Each project is providing training to area professionals and paraprofessionals, including physicians, home care workers, long-term care case workers, and discharge planners.

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