IPHA Support Groups for Dementia Caregivers initiative

Resource inventory

This page is a centralized place with resources for support group facilitators in the IPHA Support Groups for Dementia Caregivers initiative - led by the Illinois Public Health Association, the Center for Health and Social Care Integration, and the HAP Foundation, with funding from the Illinois Department of Public Health, Congressional District Funding, and the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

This page includes facilitator resources for this project - training materials as well as implementation examples - and also includes suggested resources and education to share with caregivers via community engagement efforts and support groups.

FACILITATOR RESOURCES

Alzheimer’s Association support group guide

A foundational resource provided by the Alzheimer’s Association of Illinois outlining its expectations and guidelines for support groups in general

See pdf from Alzheimer’s Association here

RUSH implementation examples

Example RUSH support group script and overall flow here
Example organizational guidelines for running support groups here
Example flyer here

RUSH support group skills + implementation training

Rush’s skills and implementation training outlining key skills and implementation considerations for hosting support groups, hosted live on Wednesday 5/29/24

See pdf training slides here and case scenarios here

The Toolkit Project

“The Toolkit Project offers the Dementia Support Group Facilitator information, resources, and the ability to network with each other. Each group facilitator comes with a wide variety of experiences, education, and comfort in running groups. Leading a support group, whether it be a group for people with dementia or a group for caregivers, is both rewarding and challenging. Whether you are new to running a group or have been doing so for many years, we have found that everyone needs support. We hope this website will be a valuable resource for all support group leaders to learn and grow in their practice.”

RESOURCES AND EDUCATION FOR CAREGIVERS

We suggest sharing these regularly with your support group participants for their own follow up as interested.

Caring for Caregivers program

A personalized intervention for individuals caring for older adults; individuals who are Illinois residents and interested can email 312-563-0350 or email caregivers@rush.edu.

Learn more here

Best Programs for Caregiving

A free, online directory of top-rated programs that support family and friend caregivers of individuals living with dementia

Access here

CATCH-ON LEARNING VIDEOS

Online videos about the basics of aging for older adults and families, including dementia, caregiving, and working effectively with healthcare teams.

Access here

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND RELATED DEMENTIAS

IPHA-ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION CORE TRAINING

X hour training for CHWs to understand basics of dementia

See website here

Illinois Cognitive Resources Network

A number of caregiver-facing resources, including information on understanding and living with dementia.