Grants to Increase Local Dementia Support
The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) is pleased to have been awarded a Grants to Increase Local Dementia Support, or GILDS grant, from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Through the GILDS grant, NCTCOG offers the following services:
- Help locating federal, state, and local services for people living with dementia and their family caregivers. Call 800-272-3921, and ask for Kiowanda, Jamie, or Isabel.
- Free dementia training for older adults, family caregivers, and professionals. Programs include Dementia Live, an interactive program that allows participants to simulate dementia, Dementia Bingo, and Brain Health Bingo. Other training topics include dealing with caregiver stress, respite programs, programs that consider family members as paid providers, signs and symptoms of dementia, communicating with a person who's living with dementia, and responding to behaviors. Live training is available to groups in Collin, Denton, Ellis, Erath, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, and Wise Counties. Virtual training is available for people within and beyond these counties. To request a training program, complete a request at: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/fe8f6353b8954d26a5aa57bac98d4958.
- Free consultation with a dementia resource specialist to identify resources, discuss tips for caring for people living with dementia, and get connected to caregiver support. Contact Jamie Harwell at jharwell@nctcog.org or Isabel Maria at imaria@nctcog.org, or call 800-272-3921.
In addition, the Texas Department of State Health Services has developed courses for primary care providers on screening, diagnosis, care coordination and referrals for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. For more information, go to: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/alzheimers-disease/provider