Dementia Caregiver Program for Underserved Populations

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Dementia Program will provide general revenue funds to develop and deliver education and support for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (ADRD) from four diverse groups: Component 1- Black Americans, Component 2-Hispanic/Latinx Americans, Component 3-Asian Americans, and Component 4-Rural Caregivers. The purpose of the Dementia Caregiver Program for Underserved Populations grant is to increase awareness, education, support, and community connection for caregivers of people living with ADRD in order to reduce stress, empower, and support caregivers from diverse populations, as well as reduce barriers and stigma that prevent access to care. This new grant program aims to support strategies from the 2026-2029 Illinois Alzheimer’s Disease State Plan, including to identify and partner with community-based organizations to assist in the dissemination of culturally responsive caregiving resources and support (Public Education and Awareness 2.E.6) and to promote awareness and use of evidence-based caregiver education (Service Delivery 3.D.3.a). Many of the activities in this program will also align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Healthy Brain Initiative, including to Ensure caregivers have information, tools and resources about their vital role and ways to maintain their own health and well-being, Action E-7 from the Healthy Brain Initiative: State and Local Road Map for Public Health, 2023-2027 (cdc.gov). Federal Authorization N/ The granted organization will educate caregivers about the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (ADRD), best care practices, culturally appropriate community resources, and increase the caregiver’s level of confidence when advocating and discussing ADRD with healthcare professionals on behalf of care recipients. Grantees will recruit caregivers from the targeted communities listed to participate in the program. Grantees will provide all necessary materials to educate caregivers including but not limited to Wi-Fi and technical support, electronic device access (i.e., borrowing system), multilingual ADRD caregiver handbooks, and any other materials deemed necessary to educate caregivers. The granted organization will be responsible for promoting the trainings to the targeted audience of caregivers identified, registering and on-boarding the attendees for all trainings, creating and providing the educational content, facilitating the training events, administering pre and post-tests, arranging online support groups, and setting up in-person memory cafes to be offered to caregivers and care recipients with ADRD. All grant funds must be used for the sole purposes set forth in the grant proposal and application and must be used in compliance with all applicable laws. Grant funds may not be used as matching funds for any other grant program. Use of grant funds for prohibited purposes may result in loss of grant award and/or place the grantee at risk for recouping of those funds used for the prohibited purpose. Expenditure reports must be submitted quarterly. To be reimbursable under the Department/Office of Health Promotion Grant Agreement, expenditures must meet the following general criteria: •Be necessary and reasonable for proper and efficient administration of the program and not be a general expense required to carry out the overall responsibilities of the applicant. • Be authorized or not prohibited under federal, state or local laws, or regulations. •Conform to any limitations or exclusions set forth in the applicable rules, program description, or grant agreement. •Be accorded consistent treatment through application of generally accepted accounting principles, appropriate to the circumstances. •Not be allocable to or included as a cost of any state or federally-financed program in either the current or a prior period. •Be net of all applicable credits. •Be specifically identified with the provision of a direct service or program activity. •Be an actual expenditure of funds in support of program activities, documented by check number, and/or internal ledger transfer of funds. •Not be used for research or clinical care. Beneficiaries: N/A Administered by the Illinois Department of Public Health via the Illinois GATA Catalog of State Financial Assistance (CSFA 482-00-3235).