"Our state excels at providing community services to those in need," Grassley said. "I'm confident that the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs will use this grant to develop quality programs for Alzheimer's disease patients."
The state of Iowa's grant is designed to increase access to and use of community-based support services using a nursing care managed delivery system for persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. The focus is on improving the service delivery system and making the community-based long-term care system more "dementia friendly."
The grant came from the federal Administration on Aging, which chose Iowa as one of 16 states to participate in Alzheimer's disease demonstration projects. The 16 states will receive almost $5 million. They are directed to work with local community agencies to expand diagnostic and support services for people with Alzheimer's disease. The target population includes under-served minority, rural and low-income older persons.