Alzheimer’s Family Center Receives $300,000 Grant from Archstone Foundation
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (PRWEB) May 03, 2018 -- Alzheimer’s Family Center (AFC) has been awarded a $300,000, three-year grant from Archstone Foundation to help address the needs of family caregivers through innovative new approaches.
AFC will use the funds to create two new programs that “care for the caregiver.” They include an Adult Health Evening Program that addresses the effects of Sundowning Syndrome and Caregiver Counseling. The goals of the programs are to ensure that family caregivers and their loved ones are supported through long-term services.
1. Adult Evening Health Care Services
Adult Evening Health Care Services will be offered one night per week and will be specific to the needs of patients, such as exercise, art, and brain and memory activities. The evening program will also be used to help address Sundowning Syndrome, which affects up to 20% of Alzheimer’s patients.
2. Caregiver Counseling
Social Workers will routinely screen family caregivers using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The results will be used to refer at-risk caregivers for counseling services.
AFC’s Chief Executive Officer, Joanna Richardson-Jones, expressed her happiness at the news. “We are overwhelmed by Archstone Foundation’s generosity,” she said. “They are not only supporting our mission to improve the quality of life for our patients, but also giving caregivers more peace of mind. With the addition of Adult Evening Health Services and Caregiver Counselling Programs, AFC strives to help families through this challenging journey. Archstone Foundation’s kindness has helped us make that possible.”
About Archstone Foundation
Archstone Foundation is a private grantmaking organization in Long Beach, California. Its mission is to contribute towards the preparation of society in meeting the needs of an aging population.
Since 2012, Archstone Foundation has funded in three priority areas:
1. Enabling older people to remain in their homes and communities
2. Improving the quality of life for older adults suffering from depression;
3. Developing innovative responses to the family caregiving needs of elders.
For more information about Archstone Foundation, please visit http://www.archstone.org.
About Alzheimer’s Family Center
Alzheimer’s Family Center (AFC) is Orange County’s only adult day health care facility dedicated exclusively to caring for dementia patients. AFC has a 38-year history of improving the quality of life of families challenged by memory loss, such as Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia. Patients benefit through customized programming tailored to the needs of each individual, from the earliest to the most advanced stages of dementia. Families find respite from the demands of caregiving, and the assurance that their loved one is receiving expert memory care, delivered with dignity and respect.
Recent studies show that AFC makes a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of its patients. Our patients experience over 50% fewer falls and a 33% reduction in emergency room visits within 12 months of enrollment in AFC’s programs. As a result, AFC family caregivers find the responsibilities of caregiving to be more manageable when their loved ones are home, away from the center. AFC also provides family caregivers with support and referrals to manage the medical, emotional, and financial challenges of caring for a memory-impaired loved one.
Marie Oyegun, Alzheimer's Family Center, http://www.AFSCenter.org, +1 714-593-1868, [email protected]
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