SMAA receives $99,731 grant to expand dementia respite care

Southern Maine Agency on Aging has been awarded $99,731 from the Alzheimer’s Association Center for Dementia Respite Innovation (CDRI) to enhance the quality and availability of dementia-specific respite care for people living with dementia and their caregivers across York and Cumberland counties.

Southern Maine Agency on Aging is among 34 organizations nationwide selected to receive grant funding. The award will support the launch of Dementia Respite Without Walls, a community-based pilot designed to bring respite services directly to rural communities where families may face transportation challenges or have limited access to center-based programs.

The pilot will provide weekly, four-hour respite sessions in familiar community settings such as churches, grange halls, and community rooms. Two 12-week cohorts will serve approximately 12 to 24 people living with dementia while giving their caregivers dependable time for rest, appointments, errands, or other needs.

An open house will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at the Casco Community Center, 940 Meadow Road in Casco.

Interested participants need to be screened prior to attending the Open House. To be screened, they need to contact Adult Day Program manager Nicole Garrity at 207-396-6508 or send an email to [email protected].

“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.”

Dementia Respite Without Walls will bring trained staff, individualized care planning, and therapeutic activities into each community. Portable engagement kits will allow staff to provide meaningful activities adapted to each member’s interests and abilities. The initiative will also include caregiver support, volunteer training, community partnerships, and program evaluation, with the goal of developing a model that can be 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 respite services are dementia-capable and to support sustainability. The CDRI will also collect data and evaluate the impact of projects from all grant recipients to inform 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.” 

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 see the full list of this year’s grant recipients.

About Southern Maine Agency on Aging

Southern Maine Agency on Aging supports older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers throughout York and Cumberland counties. Through services including caregiver support, Adult Day Programs, Meals on Wheels, Medicare counseling, and information and resources, the organization helps people maintain their independence and quality of life. To learn more, visit www.smaaa.org.

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. <