Volunteers of America MN-WI (VOA) is hosting an open house and celebration on May 27 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm that will honor the work of Program Director Dorothea Harris who recently received a national award. Join virtually to celebrate, learn more about the program, and get the chance to win a prize.
VOA’s Culturally Responsive Caregiver Support and Dementia Services Program recently received the Alzheimer’s Caregiving Award from the Family Caregiver Alliance. The program received the recognition as a result of its culturally responsive and innovative ways it has supported caregivers in the community.
Established in 2014 in response to the need for culturally relevant Alzheimer’s and dementia support for African American community members, the program has now expanded to serve the unique needs of East African (Somali, Ethiopian) and Hmong caregivers, care receivers, and their families.
Culturally Responsive Caregiver Support and Dementia Service focuses on building trust and engagement within the community. Their goal is to improve caregivers’ ability to provide care, cope with stress related to caregiving, and localize services within the community.
An estimated 425 caregivers and people living with dementia are served by the Culturally Responsive Caregiver Support and Dementia Service program annually. Programs are offered daily for people living with dementia and caregivers of all ages via in-person (following CDC health and safety protocol), telephone, and video conference.
The program focuses “on neighborhood based support services that meet the people served where they are, building on relationships that are founded on trust.”
VOA created and runs the only mobile medical clinic in the country that offers dementia awareness and services; they built a home modification service to allow families to continue caring at home; and they provide an active multi-lingual (Hmong, Somali, Oromo) caregiver support helpline: 952-945-4034.
To register for the event go here. To learn more about the Culturally Responsive Caregiver Program, call 952-945-4016 or follow the program’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/crcaregivers.
Information and photo courtesy of Volunteers of America MN-WI (VOA).
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