Dementia Care Scholarships

When a person with dementia should no longer be at home alone, the family begins the difficult task of piecing together 24-hour-a-day custodial care. Adult day care is the most affordable option of care for families whose loved one is physically able to attend.

ACA will award scholarships for people with dementia to attend adult day care centers that have agreed to participate in the program. Scholarships will be for up to $300 per month. People with dementia receive appropriate stimulation, helping them stay mentally and physically active. The caregivers can go to work, attend to household tasks, take care of their own health needs and get the renewing break that is so essential for caregivers of loved ones with long term care needs.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Person with dementia must reside in Alabama.
• Individual must have a dementing illness.
• The person with dementia must reside at home and have a caregiver.

Scholarships:

• The caregiver is responsible for selecting the center that best fits their loved one's needs. (Find a list of Day Care Centers here)
• A scholarship award will be for one year, with the possibility for renewal at year's end.

Scholarship Process:

• As our time and our resources allow, information will be distributed to home health agencies, social workers, case managers, and support group facilitators.
• The agencies/individuals will assist caregivers in applying for the scholarships.
• The referring agency/individual is asked to attempt to verify the application information, but is not held legally responsible for the information provided.
• A listing of all participating centers with descriptions of their services is provided in the Scholarship Application Packet.
• Among participating centers some variation exists in services provided and degree of impairment accepted.
• It is the responsibility of the applicant (with assistance from the referring agency/individual if needed) to contact the centers of their preference to confirm their ability to care for the person with dementia appropriately.
• In applying for a scholarship, a caregiver is asked to provide a summary of their finances and their psychosocial history.
• A Program Team will review the applications and will make scholarship awards.
• On average, forty to fifty scholarships are awarded each year.
• ACA will pay the day care center for the days the participant attends, under the scholarship arrangement. Payment will be mailed the first week of each month for the previous month.

Below you can download the application form for the scholarship program. If you have any questions, please Contact Us.

Continence Products Program

Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama is pleased to be able to offer a continence products scholarship program. The program enables us to provide much-needed assistance to those with dementia and their caregivers in Alabama. We realize the cost of continence products can be a major factor in the costs associated with providing care in the home. Our goal is to continue to find funding and opportunities to assist caregivers in the very important but demanding role they serve.

Our plan provides a set amount of products to selected recipients on a monthly basis. These are shipped to the home from a medical supply company.

Download the Word or PDF application forms in the next section for this scholarship program. If you have any questions, please Contact Us.

Nutritional Supplement Program:

Home shipment of the nutritional supplements Ensure and Glucerna (for diabetics) are also available through ACA, either on their own or along with continence products. Nutritional supplement drinks can help older adults with dementia by providing an easy, reliable source of calories, protein, and nutrients when appetite and regular meals become difficult.

Families may receive a monthly case of Ensure or Glucerna by completing the application below. ACA provides one case (24 cans) each month for people living with dementia who are at risk for weight loss.

Eligibility

• Individuals living with dementia who are at risk for weight loss
• Awards are based on greatest need, including financial need