Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University Receives $5,000 Grant From the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America

Alzheimer's Foundation of America press release

NEW YORK (April 25, 2016) — The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), a non-profit organization founded to fill the gap that existed on a national level, assuring quality of care and excellence in service to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses and to their caregivers and families, awarded one of its Spring 2016 Bi-Annual Grants to Scripps Gerontology Center, an outstanding non-profit member organization at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio that shares AFA’s mission of providing optimal care to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses, and their families.

The $5,000 grant enables the Opening Minds through Art (OMA) program which is developed at Scripps Gerontology Center to continue to develop and enhance educational and support services, and support families in need in their communities. The grants are a critical funding source for grassroots organizations, which play a pivotal role in their communities. Scripps Gerontology Center provides research, education and service to meet the needs of aging societies. Their Opening Minds through Art (OMA) program is an art-making program that brings out the creativity in people with dementia, provides opportunities for social engagement, and aims to break cognitive barriers. To find out more about the Opening Minds through Art (OMA) program, you can visit them at www.ScrippsOMA.org and you can learn more about Scripps Gerontology Center at www.scrippsaging.org. “AFA strongly believes in helping grassroots organizations in local communities in order to improve

Scripps Gerontology Center provides research, education and service to meet the needs of aging societies. Their Opening Minds through Art (OMA) program is an art-making program that brings out the creativity in people with dementia, provides opportunities for social engagement, and aims to break cognitive barriers. To find out more about the Opening Minds through Art (OMA) program, you can visit them at www.ScrippsOMA.org and you can learn more about Scripps Gerontology Center at www.scrippsaging.org.

“AFA strongly believes in helping grassroots organizations in local communities in order to improve quality of life for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and their families,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., president and CEO of AFA. “The organizations that were selected for these grants have demonstrated to be a remarkable resource for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. The grant will allow Scripps Gerontology Center to provide scholarships to help artists, educators, and healthcare and aging professionals to attend their training programs so they are better prepared to work with people with dementia. I congratulate Scripps Gerontology Center, and encourage them to keep up the great work.”

“Receiving this grant means that we can teach more professionals how to provide meaningful and failure-free creative arts opportunities for people with dementia while at the same time providing opportunities for volunteers to build relationships with older people beyond their immediate families. These first-hand experiences help address ageism issues in our society,“ said OMA Founder & Director, Dr. Elizabeth Lokon.

AFA is able to provide this critical support as a result of the generosity of individual contributions, grants, sponsorships and AFA development activities. To help support these initiatives, please click here.

AFA member organizations interested in obtaining grant applications must log into the members-only area of the AFA Web site.

About Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA):
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, based in New York, is a non-profit organization that unites more than 2,400 member organizations nationwide with the goal of providing optimal care and services to individuals confronting dementia, and to their caregivers and families. Its services include a national, toll-free helpline (866-232-8484) staffed by licensed social workers, educational materials, a free quarterly magazine for caregivers and “AFA Partners in Care” dementia care training for healthcare professionals. For more information about AFA, call 866-232-8484, visit www.alzfdn.org, follow us on Twitter, or connect with us on Facebook or LinkedIn.