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Grantees

Dementia Friendly Community Ambassadors
Bernardston Senior Center – Bernardston, MA
Spearheaded by an Ambassador who collaborates with and supports businesses in the community, this program builds age and dementia friendly ways to authentically engage persons living with dementia and their care partners. The Ambassador will educate community stakeholders and area businesses by providing a toolbox that includes key components - including ways to communicate with people living with dementia and creating an inclusive atmosphere. This program seeks to build welcoming communities for all
Rock-Climbing with Dementia
Southern Maine Agency on Aging (SMAA) - Biddeford, Maine
Southern Maine Agency on Aging is pioneering a rock-climbing program for underserved, culturally and economically diverse older adults living with dementia and their care partners. By embracing adventure and exploration, adaptive rock climbing redefines the possibilities by offering a novel approach to promoting health, resilience, and joy in participants’ lives. As care partners connect with others facing similar challenges in the climbing gym, they also benefit from respite and support. This program reinforces an important principle at SMAA: “Respite with” older adults living with dementia for caregivers, rather than “respite from.”
2024 Innovation Program Award Recipients

Healing the Generations with Music
Poydras Home and The Children’s Hospital of New Orleans - New Orleans, LA
This Poydras Home program brings together elders living with dementia and adolescent patients at the Children's Hospital in a music program, creating meaningful connections, collaboration, and social interaction. Sessions use music, lyrics analysis, discussion, song writing, drum circles, musical play, relaxation, lyrics substitution, and movement as a basis of connection and healing between generations. Music – the universal and open-minded language of healing – is the conduit of connection, meeting the social, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual needs of both groups
Meet Me: Community Outings
Insight Memory Care Center (IMCC) – Fairfax, VA
Using an integrated approach, Insight Memory Care Center will launch a series of brain supportive outings for people living with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or early-stage dementia, and their family members or friends. The outings support a variety of brain health and wellness domains, such as physical activity, healthy eating, social activity, new learning/cognitive stimulation, reducing stress, animal therapy, sensory stimulation, creative expression, and community engagement. The overall purpose is to encourage peer support and socialization between families, who otherwise feel isolated due to symptom changes and stigma of the diagnosis. Staff and volunteers at IMCC provide on-site support to families during these outings to ensure a positive experience.

Trauma-Informed Therapies
2LIife Communities Inc. – Boston, MA
The newly designed Expressive Therapy (ET) programs at 2Life Communities will learn about and incorporate the latest strategies to recognizing and responding to participants’ trauma experiences. The goal is to better help residents manage their trauma and allow for mind and body relief. 2Life will focus on a greater understanding of the neurological underpinnings of trauma and stress, incorporating activities that promote bilateral stimulation, intentionally engaging the wiring of alternating sides of the body and brain. The inclusion of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing – EMDR – is a mental health treatment technique designed to help individuals heal from trauma or other distressing life experiences. By incorporating elements of EMDR in the Expressive Therapy, 2Life intends to deepen residents’ meaningful self-expression and authentic engagement.