Southern Maine Agency on Aging has received a $99,731 grant from the Alzheimer’s Association Center for Dementia Respite Innovation (CDRI) to expand access to dementia-specific respite care for people living with dementia and their caregivers across York and Cumberland counties.
Southern Maine Agency on Aging is the only organization in Maine among 34 organizations nationwide selected to receive funding this year. The grant will support the launch of Dementia Respite Without Walls, a community-based pilot designed to bring respite services closer to families in rural areas where transportation and limited access to center-based programs can make finding support difficult.
The First Pilot Begins in Casco
The first 12-week session will begin September 22 at the Casco Community Center. Once a week, people living with dementia will spend four hours with trained staff enjoying music and movement, storytelling, crafts, and other activities tailored to their interests and abilities.
During that time, caregivers will have dependable time to rest, attend appointments, run errands, or care for their own needs. Caregivers will also have the option to connect with peer support and resource guidance.
“Caring for someone living with dementia can be demanding, especially for families in rural communities where respite services may be difficult to access,” said Megan Walton, President and CEO of Southern Maine Agency on Aging. “This grant will allow us to bring trusted, dementia-specific support closer to home while giving caregivers time to care for their own health and well-being.”
A New Community-Based Model
Rather than requiring families to travel to one of Southern Maine Agency on Aging’s established Adult Day Programs in Biddeford, Portland, or Springvale, Dementia Respite Without Walls will bring trained staff, individualized care planning, and therapeutic activities into familiar community spaces such as churches, grange halls, and community centers.
Portable engagement kits will allow staff to adapt each session to members’ interests and abilities. The initiative will also include caregiver support, volunteer training, community partnerships, and program evaluation.
Two initial 12-week sessions are expected to serve approximately 12 to 24 people living with dementia. The larger goal is to develop an efficient model that can be sustained through local partnerships and replicated in other rural communities.
In conjunction with the grant, Southern Maine Agency on Aging will receive online training and ongoing technical assistance from the CDRI to ensure its respite services are dementia-capable and to support the program’s long-term sustainability. The CDRI will also collect data and evaluate projects from grant recipients to help inform future programs and public policy.
“We congratulate Southern Maine Agency on Aging on this award and look forward to partnering with their team to expand access to dementia-specific respite care,” said Lauren Stratton, director, psychosocial research and program evaluation at the Alzheimer’s Association. “Each funded program contributes to a growing national network of innovative respite models, helping advance sustainable solutions that better support caregivers and people living with dementia in communities across the country.”
Interested in the Casco Program?
Space is available for the first session beginning September 22 at the Casco Community Center. Interested caregivers can contact Nicole Garrity, Adult Day Program Manager, at 207-396-6508 or ngarrity@smaaa.org.
Caregivers may also complete the Adult Day Program Inquiry Form. Please mention Casco in the comment section of the form.
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About the Center for Dementia Respite Innovation
The Alzheimer’s Association created the CDRI in 2024 after receiving a $25 million grant from the Administration for Community Living (ACL), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Through this initiative, the CDRI is distributing $25 million over five years to local respite providers and organizations to enhance the quality and availability of respite care nationwide. Visit alz.org/cdri to learn more.
Funding Disclosure
This project is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as part of a financial assistance award totaling $18,228,216, with 75 percent funded by ACL/HHS, and $4,941,389, with 25 percent funded by non-government sources. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ACL/HHS or the U.S. Government.
