A November 11 article in Rochester Business Journal cited that according to a report released in May 2020 by the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, nearly 1 in 5 Americans (19%) are providing care to an adult with health or functional needs. Additionally, those caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia has risen from 22% in 2015 to 26% of the total population of caregivers in 2020.
A plethora of local resources were highlighted as answering the need for more support of caregivers in our area. Among those receiving special mention, was St. John’s online Dementia Resource Center and a recent grant awarded to St. John’s in partnership with Lifespan by Exhale, the Family Caregiver Initiative, in support of a 2023 project to establish a physical dementia resource center at 150 Highland Avenue, attached to the current buildings of St. John’s Home.
With respect to the Exhale grant, St. John’s and Lifespan were two of 12 new grantees that have been selected to kick-off Exhale’s 2022 program. Other grantees include Western New York’s Catholic Health Continuing Care Foundation, YMCA Buffalo Niagara, Cradle Beach, Inc., Healthy Alternatives Through Healings Arts (HAHA), Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers, American Cancer Society, United Way of Orleans County, along with Regents of the University of Michigan – Silver Club, Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels and Chelsea Senior Center, which are based in Washtenaw County, MI.