JABA (the Jefferson Area Board for Aging) announces that the Dementia Care Coordination Program has been honored with an Aging Innovations Award by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a). The awards program is supported by WellCare Health Plans. The Dementia Care Coordination Program was among 45 local aging programs to receive honors at the n4a Annual Conference & Trade show, July 28–August 1 in Chicago, IL. JABA’s program was one of the top four highest-scoring Innovations Award winners and received a $500 cash prize.
The 2018 n4a Aging Innovations and Achievement Awards recognizes Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and Title VI Native American aging programs that develop and implement cutting-edge approaches to support older adults, people with disabilities and their family caregivers. A part of the criteria for the selection of the honorees was the ease with which other agencies could replicate the program in their communities.
“With the health care landscape changing at a rapid pace, our members continue to meet the needs of America’s rapidly growing older adult population by finding new ways to position themselves in the long-term and health care marketplaces while strengthening the services they already offer,” said n4a’s Chief Executive Officer Sandy Markwood. “Our members work tirelessly, with little fanfare in their communities, and this program enables us to shine a well-deserved spotlight on their critical work to support older adults’ health, safety, independence and dignity,” said Markwood.
The Dementia Care Coordination Program is an innovative integrated and coordinated care system for individuals living with dementia, their families and caregivers created by JABA in association with the University of Virginia’s Memory and Aging Care Clinic and Virginia’s Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services. The goal of the program was to develop a replicable best practice for dementia care coordination. The program won a “Best Practices” award from the Virginia Commonwealth Council on Aging earlier this year, which called the program “a model for integrated and coordinated care for individuals with dementia and their caregivers.
“The dementia care coordination program provides the services of options counseling with understanding the unique evolving needs of persons with dementia and their caregivers,” said JABA CEO Marta Keane. “ It is an important step in expanding our mission to provide services and supports to age in the community.”
The 2018 n4a Aging Achievement Awards honored traditional and new strategies in a range of categories including Advocacy, Agency Operations, Caregiving, Diversity & Cultural Competency, Elder Abuse Prevention, Health-LTSS Integration, Healthy Aging, Home & Community-Based Services, Information & Referral/Access to Services, Intergenerational Programs, Nutrition, Social Engagement, Technology, Transportation & Mobility and Workforce Development.
