There are few responsibilities that cause more stress than caring for a loved one with dementia. More and more people are taking on this responsibility, and an Arizona State University training and support program for these individuals has gained additional funding that will enable it to expand to southern Arizona while it continues to be offered in metropolitan Phoenix.

Family caregivers of people with dementia in the greater Phoenix and Tucson areas are being recruited to participate in the Assisting Family Caregivers (AFC) program, which has been supported since its inception by the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium.

AFC helps improve caregivers’ ability to effectively manage behavior problems their loved one with dementia may be exhibiting; manage their own stress and mood changes; and communicate effectively with physical and mental health care professionals, the affected loved one, and other family members.

“Finding better ways to support family caregivers is a major public health challenge facing this country,” says AFC Director David Coon, an ASU professor who holds academic positions in the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and the College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation. “Family caregivers are exposed to emotional and physical stress as well as impacts on their finances and their ability to maintain social ties.”

Working with the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium and other community partners, Coon’s program includes face-to-face group training and individual telephone support. Participants are asked to take part in an in-home interview before and after the training process, and receive $50 in compensation for each interview.

The program emphasizes outreach to underserved populations, and training is offered both in English and Spanish. One of Coon’s goals is to streamline the training process to make it more cost-effective for participating agencies and organizations.

“We want to recruit more family caregivers to receive training and support in metropolitan Phoenix during the spring of 2009, and at the same time we will expand to southern Arizona,” Coon says.

The southward expansion comes from a new $250,000 grant awarded to Arizona by the Alzheimer’s Grants to States Evidence-Based Program, funded by the U.S. Administration on Aging. Partners for this pilot program include the Arizona Department of Economic Security’s Division of Aging and Adult Services, the Desert Southwest Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Pima Council on Aging.

People caring for loved ones with dementia, and professionals who can refer such individuals, are encouraged to contact Coon’s office on ASU’s West campus to make arrangements to participate in upcoming program opportunities. The contact numbers are (602) 543-6364 (English) and (602) 327-6010 (Spanish).