Hospice of the Valley awarded $30,000 grant by Season for Sharing

The Arizona Republic
March 15, 2016

Season for Sharing has awarded a $30,000 grant to Hospice of the Valley to support the not-for-profit agency’s Palliative Care for Dementia program, serving people with all stages of dementia and their family caregivers.

Palliative Care for Dementia provides home visits from dementia educators, phone consultations with a physician specialist and respite care from volunteers. Round-the-clock telephone access to an on-duty nurse also is available to assist at times of crisis. Caregivers may enroll in mindfulness training courses at no charge to help relieve stress. The grant supports families and patients with limited financial resources.

Season for Sharing, the annual campaign of The Arizona Republic, azcentral.com and 12News, in partnership with the Gannett Foundation, the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust and the Arizona Community Foundation, raises awareness and dollars for non-profit agencies that help the needy. Together with donations from the community, Season for Sharing raised $2.63 million this year to distribute to 128 nonprofit organizations.

Dementia is now the fourth-leading cause of death in Arizona. As the disease unfolds, typically over a ten-year period, the primary caregiver usually is a family member who often feels overwhelmed, isolated and unsure of where to turn for help.

Palliative Care for Dementia was started in 2013 with grant assistance from two local foundations. The service is not covered by Medicare and is not for hospice patients. Private-pay services are available for $275 a month. The Season for Sharing grant will cover that cost for families that can’t afford it.