Local Agency Receives Rosalynn Carter Leadership in Caregiving Award

Local Agency Receives Rosalynn Carter Leadership in Caregiving Award

Riverside Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health Recognized by Former First Lady

AMERICUS, GEORGIA — On October 26, the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI) bestowed the 2018 Rosalynn Carter Leadership in Caregiving Award on the Riverside Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health (CEALH), located in Williamsburg, Virginia.

CEALH was named at a celebratory dinner at the end of RCI’s 2018 National Summit and presented with a $15,000 cash award, generously donated by Johnson & Johnson. The award, named in honor of the former First Lady, is the highest honor given in the caregiving field. It is awarded to an individual or organization that has taken concrete action in addressing America’s caregiving crisis by working toward six key recommendations outlined by the RCI in its March 2012 paper Averting the Caregiver Crisis: An Update.

In its paper, RCI recommended the following strategies to improve caregiver support:
• Educate the public
• Assure caregivers receive evidenced-based, effective support services that target their identified needs
• Support the translation of evidence-based caregiver programs into community settings
• Advocate for tax and public policy changes
• Target investments that lead to sustainable funding 
• Provide leadership for coordination of efforts

CEALH has taken a leadership position in implementing many of these strategies. Through its many programs, including but not limited to RCI programs such as Dealing with Dementia and Operation Family Caregiver, CEALH has delivered evidence-based programs to caregivers across the state of Virginia, having a great impact on those in need. In addition, CEALH has actively participated in policy discussions at a state and national level through both its own efforts and through strong partnerships.

Since its inception, CEALH has partnered with our state offices, area agencies on aging, and community service providers throughout the Commonwealth to support the translation of evidence-based and evidence-informed caregiver programs into community settings,” wrote U.S. Senator Mark Warner in a letter supporting CEALTH’s nomination for the award. 

“The Riverside Center for Excellence in Aging and Lifelong Health exemplifies the leadership and systematic approach needed to support our nation’s caregivers,” said RCI’s executive director Dr. Jennifer Olsen. “I am so pleased to see their commitment and incredible leadership in this way.”

CEALTH received a cash award of $15,000 as well as a statuette originally commissioned by former RCI Board member, Val Halamandaris, and executed by renowned sculptor Frank Eliscu, who also designed the Heisman Trophy.

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