QUALITY CARE CONNECTIONS

The mission of Quality Care Connections, an initiative of Johnson & Johnson and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (formerly called the J&J/RCI Caregivers Program), is to enhance community based services for caregivers. This will be accomplished through:

• Awarding grants to community based organizations that collaborate with researchers to implement evidence-based caregiving programs in their local community.

• Creation of a national clearinghouse that organizes information on evidence-based caregiver supports including cost, implementation guidelines, level of evidence of effectiveness, and availability of training.

• Development of a web-based “toolkit” of resources to assist those who are considering implementing an evidence-based caregiving program; including tools to help an organization gauge their “readiness” for adoption and implementation of such programs, guide implementation and document cost effectiveness of such programs.

• Recognition of leadership in implementing innovative and creative partnerships between community organizations and caregiving researchers with the Rosalynn Carter “Leadership in Caregiving” Award.

The 2007-8 grantees under this program are all implementing evidence-based programs of support for family caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. Recent statistics report that Medicare expenditures for treatment of Alzheimer's disease will increase to $400 billion annually within the next 20 years. Research has proven that the demands of caring for a person with this insidious disease are profound. A recent study found that a third of family caregivers of persons with dementia are suffering from depression. In the coming months we will be posting real time information about these innovative and effective programs so that others considering implementing evidence-based programs in their own communities can learn from both their successes and challenges.

The 2007 grant awardees are:

Fox Rehabilitation P. C. - Cherry Hill, New Jersey – Occupational Therapists (OT), whose services are reimbursable under Medicare, will be trained to assess the needs and concerns of family caregivers in addition to the cognitive and functional capabilities of the person with dementia.

Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging - Calera, Alabama – Staff from the Middle Alabama Area Agency on Aging will be trained to implement components of the REACH II intervention (Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health), one of the most highly effective and widely tested interventions for family caregivers. The ultimate goal is to make REACH interventions available in every community throughout the state through its network of Area Agencies on Aging.

Scott & White Memorial Hospital - Temple, Texas – This project will bridge the gap between hospital and community for family caregivers by training hospital discharge planning nurses and staff from the Area Agency on Aging to complete a needs assessment and develop a program of REACH II interventions for caregivers of individuals with dementia being discharged from the hospital.

Fletcher Allen Healthcare – Burlington, Vermont – This program will establish the NYU Caregiver Intervention (NYUCI) as part of the services of a major, regional Primary Care Physician’s office. In this way, rural caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease can receive the support they need as part of their normal medical visits.

Metropolitan Jewish Health System – Brooklyn, New York – This program will evaluate caregiver counseling as a plan benefit under Medicaid managed Long-Term Care, (MLTC), an important and emerging strategy of Medicaid Programs nationwide. Immigrants with limited English language skills who are caring for medically complex adults will be provided the NYU Caregiver Intervention (NYUCI) as part of managed care.