Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey/Caregiver Respite Program

Innovative and Exemplary (2019):

Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey/Caregiver Respite  Program, located in Toms River, New Jersey, has provided weekly, in-home respite care for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia since 2002.  A careful process matches respite volunteers with caregivers, including matches with bilingual volunteers and a program matching Veteran volunteers to Veterans with dementia, or Veteran caregivers. The matching process, along with ongoing support and training for volunteers, results in quality services, improved quality of life among caregivers, and strong relationships between volunteers and families lasting years.  Some volunteers have been with the Alzheimer’s Respite Care Program since its inception.

In recent years, two new components have been added to the program:

1. The Recharge Support Group meets monthly at a local library and offers caregivers a welcoming space to connect with peers, share resources, and support their mental health. While caregivers participate in the group, their loved ones with dementia are engaged in a separate room in a structured activity enrichment program. This unique, simultaneous-care model removes one of the most common barriers to caregiver support—finding safe, meaningful care for a loved one while attending to one’s own well-being.
2.  An Assistive Technology program provides free high tech to no tech items that caregivers may keep such as bed alarms, baby monitors, dementia friendly clocks and remotes, robotic pets, tracking devices for individuals who roam, door alarms, wipes warmers, and emergency response pendants. The items are shipped directly to the caregiver’s home. Program staff are available by phone or for home visits to help set up the technology.

Through all their services, the program strives to keep older individuals in their homes and communities, and promote joy and connection to decrease social isolation and loneliness. Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey/Caregiver Respite Program developed a total program replication guide to support the growth of high quality, in-home respite care services for older adults with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

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Programs are initially reviewed after three years to assess continued status as Innovative and Exemplary, and every five years thereafter. Following their second review, recognition of Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey/Caregiver Respite Program. as Innovative and Exemplary was extended to January 1, 2031.