In
2013, the Alzheimer’s Association Cleveland Area Chapter was the recipient of a
very generous bequest restricted to “programs and services for the residents of
Lorain County”. The bequest was made by Angelo LoPresti in honor of
his wife, Frances, who had Alzheimer’s disease. In order to ensure
that this gift made the greatest impact on the community, the chapter
commissioned an outside consulting firm to conduct a
needs assessment of Lorain County. The work began in November of 2014
and concluded in July of this year. The community assessment included interviews with five focus groups of
key stakeholders, an analysis of demographic data, a survey of
participants of Alzheimer’s Association services, and a community survey sent
to 5,000 randomly selected residents of Lorain County, age 50 older.
The assessment set
out to answer some very important questions.
- What are
the needs of the residents of Lorain County related to Alzheimer’s disease and
other dementia support services?
- How well
are our services currently meeting that need?
- What
additional support services are needed in Lorain County to support residents
living with or caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or a related
dementia?
- How
should we structure our presence in Lorain County to meet key challenges and
opportunities?
- How do we
ensure that our programs and services align with and directly advance the
mission of the Alzheimer’s Association and our strategic initiatives in Lorain
County?
A
summary of the assessment’s key findings can be found by clicking here. This
work helped to identify our priorities for Lorain County.
As a result, our new
three-year plan for serving the estimated 5,500 Lorain County residents with
dementia and the estimated 11,000 caregivers will be fulfilled by providing
more knowledge and information about the disease so families are able to plan,
make decisions, and feel more supported by life’s transitions. Those
impacted by the disease will also have access to a supportive network of others
affected by the disease. Ultimately, the goal is for Lorain County to become a
more dementia friendly community through outreach and education with health
care providers, faith-based organizations and the community at large.
As the population of
Lorain County ages, more people will be impacted by this disease (estimated
6,500 by 2030). The population of each city, village and township will be
impacted proportionally. Our findings suggest that preparing for the future
will require a community, not just an organizational response. The end of
Alzheimer’s starts with you. Our Helpline(800.272.3900) is always open. You can help by referring
someone to us who needs our help. We welcome your calls and look forward to
expanding our reach in our communities. Our vision is a world without
Alzheimer’s. Join our fight for the more than 5 million individuals living with
Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.
