Grants and Funded Projects

Alzheimer’s Demonstration Project: “Enhancing capacity for dementia specific Adult Day Care and Respite for rural and emerging minority populations”
(Administration on Aging – 90AZ2774)
Principal Investigator: Janet Specht, PhD, RN, FAAN
Co-Investigator: Ann Bossen, MSN

The Iowa Department of Elder Affairs (IDEA) is awarded the AoA grant, and contracted with the University of Iowa College of Nursing to implement and evaluate this three-year program to increase the capacity of Adult Day Health and Respite (ADR) providers to serve persons with dementia in rural settings and emerging minority populations with culturally appropriate service. Goals include:

• Assessment & intervention services by specially trained Memory Loss Nurse Specialists to persons with dementia in the community
• Convene statewide committee to evaluate and advocate for ADR training,
• Increased use of direct services for adult day care and respite use
• Staff education and support to ADS & R provided by the Memory Loss Nurse Specialists (MLNS)
• Evaluate and develop culturally sensitive education, training materials, classes, and services.

Three Area Agency on Aging projects across the state were funded to implement this project. Expected outcomes include: increased numbers of higher level dementia clients receiving adult day/respite services from trained staff; expertise of a MLNS for assessment and education; Dementia specific adult day/respite centers meeting new state rules and regulations, and increased client /family satisfaction with services. Products will include a web site, culturally specific training manual, educational and evaluation programs and tools, in addition to research manuscripts. These will be disseminated to community colleges, direct service organizations and area agencies and introduced at state, local and national conferences.