Collat Jewish Family Services awarded $5K to help families affected by dementia

Collat Jewish Family Services, through its CARES (Caring for Adults through Respite, Enrichment and Socialization) program, provides respite care for families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and similar illnesses.

The program — which is located in Cahaba Heights in the former St. John’s Church for the Deaf — engages participants cognitively, physically and socially while offering caregivers relief from their everyday responsibilities.

And thanks to a new grant from the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, CJFS will be able to provide these services for more families.

The AFA announced in January that CJFS would receive $5,000 for the CARES program, which began in January 2015. CJFS was one of 15 organizations in nine states to receive grants, according to the AFA.

Such grants are important because the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease continues to increase in America, in part due to an aging population, according to many sources.

The AFA grant will fund scholarships for low-income CARES participants, enabling two participants to increase their attendance by one day per week.

CARES served 41 participants in 2018 and expects to serve that many or more in 2019, according to Elaine Witt, CJFS development and outreach director.

The program makes use of a variety of tools, including art, music, exercise, cognitive games and pet therapy. 

“CARES has created a community for families living with dementia that blends support, engagement and fun,” said Lauren Schwartz, CJFS executive director.

“We have found that the program significantly improves quality of life for both the participant and caregiver,” Schwartz said.

At press time, there were a few spots open in the program, according to CJFS. For more information, call 879-3438 or go to cjfsbham.org.