Area Agency on Aging Serving Buncombe, Henderson, Madison & Transylvania Counties
Volume V, Issue 1
Advocacy, Assistance, Answers on Aging
February - April 2010
Project C.A.R.E. transitions to Land-of-Sky Regional Council
T
he North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) has announced that the state’s Project C.A.R.E. program will transition to Land-of-Sky Regional Council for program administration. This is an important first step at it readies itself for new partnerships. Project C.A.R.E. (Caregiver Alternatives to Running on Empty) offers critical respite care, family consultation and linkage to community resources to family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. After eight years of working through the Alzheimer’s Association - Western Carolina, DAAS is transitioning the program to a new organizational structure to help facilitate its continued development. Thanks to their generosity, Project C.A.R.E. will be housed at Pisgah Valley Retirement Community in Candler until a permanent location is determined. “We are undertaking this transition to create a firm foundation on which to facilitate a move from local and regional success toward statewide expansion of Project C.A.R.E.,” said Streets. “We are grateful to the Western Carolina Chapter for playing an integral role in the inception of the program and for serving as a host agency for the past 8 1/2 years.” In conjunction with the Western Carolina Chapter, the Division started this nationally acclaimed program in July 2001, in Western and Piedmont North Carolina through a federal Alzheimer’s demonstration grant received from the U.S. Administration on Aging. In July 2008, the General Assembly added state funding to sustain and help grow the program. Project C.A.R.E. is now being offered in 21 counties across the state with a goal of eventually serving families statewide. The program especially strives to reach low-income rural and minority families.
Project C.A.R.E. Staff
The growth in Project C.A.R.E. can also be attributed to the efforts of Charles Dickens who organized forums across the state in support of expanding Project C.A.R.E. Charles was the Speaker for the Senior Tar Heel Legislature and is the Buncombe County Delegate. Streets added, “We want to especially thank the Land-of-Sky Regional Council and Dr. Dickens for their efforts to support the continued success of Project C.A.R.E.” Project C.A.R.E. staff: Len Erker, Director of Respite Tricia Adell, Data and Finance Manager Kether Abeles, Family Consultant (Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Polk, Rutherford, and Transylvania Counties) Heidi Kimsey, Family Consultant (Haywood, Jackson and Swain Counties) Wilhelmenia Pledger, Family Consultant (Forsyth, Surry and Stokes Counties)
Website: www.landofsky.org/aging
Pictured Above L-R: Len Erker, Heidi Kimsey, Kether Abeles, Tricia Adell Pictured Right: Wilhelmenia Pledger from the WinstonSalem office
Phone: 828-251-6622