The Community Coalition to Improve Alzheimer’s/Dementia Health was one of several organizations to receive grant funding from the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s general studies capstone class on philanthropy. The class had been granted $10,000 through the Learning by Giving Foundation and created the “Helping Humanity” grant to distribute those funds to local non-profit organizations.
The coalition received $2,000 to identify and train a community educator and deliver a minimum of three education sessions within a 12-month period in the tri-county area. Each session will be one to two hours in length, with a minimum target attendance of 25 people per session. After each session, community educators will complete assessments with each participant.
The immediate impact of the Alzheimer’s/Dementia Education program will be to increase each participant’s knowledge of dementia and give them the ability to recognize the early warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease. The long-term objective is to provide participants with the knowledge and confidence to discuss changes in their cognitive ability with their healthcare providers and understand how to use available resources for assistance should they need them in the future.
This graphic, produced by the National Institute on Aging, demonstrates the effects of Alzheimer’s disease on the brain, and is one piece of information the coalition is sharing with community members.
“The Community Coalition to Improve Alzheimer’s/Dementia Health is very excited to receive these funds,” said coalition coordinator Alexandra Dillon. “Early diagnosis is a key area of focus for us and the education sessions and development of a community educator will move us in a positive direction. We are grateful to the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s general studies capstone class on philanthropy for selecting us.”
To learn more about the Community Coalition to Improve Alzheimer’s/Dementia Health and see what work they’re doing, visit bcchp.org/alzheimers-coalition.