Congratulations to Ellie McConnell, associate professor, and her team on her recent Durham Center for Senior Life/Administration For Community Living (ACL)/ Department of Health and Human Services Administration For Community Living subcontract award for the Dementia Inclusive Durham: Durham Center for Senior Life. The grant is for $136,462. 

The purpose of this project is:

• To provide overall direction and oversight for the training components of Dementia Inclusive Durham’s (DID’s)/Durham Center for Senior Life’s (DCSL’s) Cooperative Agreement with the Administration on Community Living’s Program to Enhance Dementia Capability, and 

• To ensure that community members in each of the targeted sectors in DID have access to evidence-informed, role-appropriate training on:

  1. the basics of brain health and dementia,

  2. the fundamentals of promoting wellbeing in people living with dementia,

  3. how to recognize people living with cognitive challenges and then facilitate referrals to access diagnostic or supportive services, and 

  4. basic communication skills to engage and support people living with cognitive impairments common in dementia to promote their wellbeing and prevent or manage behavioral symptoms.

The project has a particular focus on two vulnerable populations: people living alone with dementia and those aging with intellectual and developmental disabilities with dementia or who are at risk for dementia.