December 22, 2019
Diverse Elders Coalition receives $1,199,763 in renewed funding from The John A. Hartford Foundation to support diverse family caregivers
By: Diverse Elders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 23, 2019

Contact: Jenna McDavid, National Director
646-653-5015 / jmcdavid@diverseelders.org

New York, NY – The Diverse Elders Coalition (DEC) has been approved for a two-year, $1,199,763 grant from The John A. Hartford Foundation to implement the programs and solutions the coalition has developed to support diverse family caregivers. This grant builds off the DEC’s previous planning grant, awarded by The John A. Hartford Foundation in 2018, to identify and address the unique needs of family caregivers in racially and ethnically diverse communities, American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender (LGBT) communities. Through the planning grant, the DEC has been able to analyze the existing state of knowledge in the field, conduct original research, and develop a cultural competency training curriculum for healthcare and social services providers.

This new implementation grant, “Addressing Unmet Family Caregiving Needs in Diverse Communities,” will support the dissemination of the coalition’s newly developed cultural competency training curriculum, which will be available nationwide through both in-person training sessions and an online platform. Furthermore, a series of in-language listening sessions will be conducted to provide evidence-based information, resources, and support to diverse family caregivers. Finally, the Diverse Elders Coalition will release the results of the 15-month research phase of this work through reports, academic publications, online resources, and in-person events throughout the two-year grant.

“We thank The John A. Hartford Foundation for their continued support as we enter the implementation phase of this forward-thinking and beneficial caregiving work,” said Larry Curley, Executive Director of the National Indian Council on Aging (NICOA). “Through the nationwide survey and focus groups that the Diverse Elders Coalition conducted in 2019, we learned so much about the needs of diverse family caregivers, little of which had been previously verified or understood. This new grant gives us the opportunity to publicly share our research and, more importantly, the stories of caregivers in our communities.”

“Family and friend caregivers of older adults come from all races, ethnicities, ages, sexualities, gender identities and income brackets and yet, we often ignore this rich diversity when trying to meet caregiver needs,” said Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, President of The John A. Hartford Foundation. “The Diverse Elders Coalition is a powerful force for ensuring that family caregivers from all backgrounds get the culturally and linguistically appropriate services they need and deserve. The John A. Hartford Foundation is committed to this vital work.”

More information about the Diverse Elders Coalition’s caregiving work will be shared on Facebook and Twitter, as well as on the Diverse Elders Coalition website at www.diverseelders.org. The latest updates can also be accessed by signing up for Common Threads, the Diverse Elders Coalition’s monthly e-newsletter.

The six Diverse Elders Coalition member organizations include:

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Founded in 2010, the Diverse Elders Coalition advocates for policies and programs that improve aging in American Indian and Alaska Native communities; Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Native Hawaiian communities; Black and African American communities; Hispanic and Latino communities; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender (LGBT) communities. We have come together to promote policy changes and programmatic solutions that respond to this demographic shift and will remove the barriers facing our communities. We envision a world where all older adults can live full and active lives as they age.

The John A. Hartford Foundation, based in New York City, is a private, nonpartisan, national philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults. For more than three decades, the organization has been the leader in building a field of experts in aging and testing and replicating innovative approaches to care. The Foundation has three areas of emphasis: creating age-friendly health systems, supporting family caregivers, and improving serious illness and end-of-life care. Working with its grantees, the Foundation strives to change the status quo and create a society where older adults can continue their vital contributions. For more information, visit johnahartford.org and follow @johnahartford.