The program, called Assisting Family Caregivers, recognizes the emotional, physical and financial stresses that can impact a family member providing Alzheimer’s care, said David Coon, AFC director, who also is a professor at Arizona State University.

Among the program’s goals is to increase caregivers’ skill at

• managing dementia-related behavioral challenges
• managing the stresses and mood changes they experience as caregivers
• effectively communicating with the Alzheimer’s patient, family members and health care professionals

Assisting Family Caregivers has partnered with the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium – which has provided support since the program started – and other community organizations in Phoenix and statewide.

The training provided ranges from group sessions to one-on-one instruction by phone. Participants are interviewed in their homes before and after the training and receive $50 in exchange for completing the course. The training can be conducted in English or Spanish, and the program currently is seeking participants in Phoenix and southern Arizona, Coon said.

The quarter of a million dollar grant is funded by the U.S. Administration on Aging. Family caregivers who would like to be considered for participation in the program can contact Coon’s Arizona State University West Campus office at (602) 543-6364 (English) and (602) 327-6010 (Spanish).

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