Alzheimer’s group gets grant for Latino program

BY JESSICA LYONS

Thursday, November 29, 2007 11:28 AM EST

The New York Community Trust has awarded the New York City chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association with a $50,000 grant that will enable the organization to expand its Latino Outreach Program.

The grant money will be used to expand the association’s dementia homecare training program to serve the needs of Spanish-speaking individuals. It will design and develop the program, which will be based on its English program.

“One of the most important things we do is the training of homecare workers,” said Jed Levine, the Executive Vice President and Director of Programs and Services at the NYC chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Levine said that Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are expected to increase among the Latino population, which is why it is important to reach out to that community more and provide such training in Spanish.

The program has 45 hours of training taking place over the course of six weeks. It takes place in the chapter’s mid-town Manhattan office. Each training sessions has about 15 to 18 homecare workers, who have to be certified.

“To the best of our knowledge, this is really a first to have this kind of comprehensive, 45-hour homecare training in Spanish,” said Levine, who added that the association is “enormously grateful” for the support and confidence of New York Community Trust. “The New York City chapter is leading the way in providing model programs.”

The training includes learning about the progression of the illness, how to focus on the person rather than the disease, behavioral symptoms, communication, functional and cognitive changes, the role of the family, and stress management techniques, among other things.

For more information on the New York City chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, visit www.alznyc.org or call their 24-hour hotline at 800-272-3900.