Alzheimers & Dementia Resource Center Inc

Programs: In fiscal year 2016/2017, our programs provided direct service to over 1,862 famlies impacted by alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Staff also held 15 free community educational workshops on topics critical to caregivers, reaching approximately 750 individuals. Eleven different monthly support groups provide caregivers with practical assistance, networking and support from agency staff facilitating the groups as well as their peers, and are held during daytime and evening hours for the convenience of attendees. 47 professional and family caregivers attended our 22nd annual all-day educational conference. 15 caregiver workshops were provided throughout central florida on a variety of topics related to dementia, caregiving, brain health and taking care of the caregiver. 16 separate professional caregiver trainings were held within central florida reaching around 320 attendees, as part of the state of florida's mandated guidelines for improving dementia patient care. During fiscal year 2016-2017, the agency's brain bank research program, which has traditionally enrolled the most participants of all other program sites in the state, enrolled 58 new participants in a 22 county area of central florida, representing roughly 49% of all candidates in the program statewide. Adrc's brain bank research program continues to participate in key research-based partnerships with washington university in st. Louis, indiana university, mayo clinic/jacksonville, johns hopkins university, ge healthcare research division and compass research, coordinating autopsies and providing tissue specimens for the organizations' research studies. The alzheimer's & dementia resource center also added a new educational series to its program lineup this fiscal year. Savvy caregiver is a 6-week, evidence-based curriculum developed by the university of minnesota. The series helps caregivers develop new strategies for both caring for their loved one as well as themselves. The strategies and skills covered in the curriculum help reduce stress and increase well-being for the participant as well as the person with cognitive issues. Attendance per series is usually capped at 15 people due to the depth of the topics and the intense nature of the issues covered. Adrc has been quite successful with the program, offering 4 separate 6-week sessions in fiscal year 2016-2017 to a total of 67 attendees.