Seven Minnesota organizations will use state grant funds to increase awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, promote early d






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NEWS RELEASE



*Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025*







*Contact:
*Scott Peterson
DHS Communications
651-392-7223
[email protected]

Dementia grants promote early diagnosis and caregiver resources

Seven Minnesota organizations will use state grant funds to increase awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, promote early diagnosis and connect caregivers to resources. Nearly $750,000 in grants are going out this fall from the Minnesota Board on Aging.

“Dementia is not a normal part of aging,” said Maureen Schneider, board chair of the Minnesota Board on Aging. “Timely diagnosis that uses the right tools is key to treatment and support and can create better outcomes for people with memory loss and the family members and friends who care for them.”

The grants are listed below:

*African American Child Wellness Institute (AACWI*), Plymouth, $149,000. As part of its effort to improve access to culturally specific dementia education and services, AACWI will collaborate with McFarlane Media on a public awareness campaign and screening tools validated in multi-ethnic communities. The project will also incorporate its African-Centered Wellness Model into workshops to support family and friends caregiving for people with memory loss.

*ElderCircle*, Grand Rapids, $134,833. Serving a county where more than a quarter of residents are age 65 or older, ElderCircle is implementing a proactive approach to addressing dementia-related needs among hard-to-reach, low- to moderate-income people and their caregivers. Activities will include access to dementia screening with formal referral pathways, respite services and expanded caregiving education from MBA-certified caregiver consultants.

*Faith Community Nurse Network of the Greater Twin Cities,* Shoreview, $145,000. Grant funds will support dementia awareness education, screening and prevention as well as caregiver support to Minnesotans who lack access or trust in more traditional health care settings. Reaching older adults who are Deaf, DeafBlind or have profound hearing loss is a special focus, given the correlation established between hearing loss and dementia.

*Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis*, Minneapolis, $85,000. Delivering stabilizing dementia support services for people with memory loss in Minneapolis and the west metro is the focus of this project. Features of the grant work include new weekly caregiver “drop in” coffees, regular cognitive screening opportunities and respite services. Services are open to all, with special emphasis on serving Russian-speaking Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

*Perham Hospital District doing business as Perham Health*, Perham, $143,393. Serving a 180-square-mile rural area across Otter Tail County, Perham Health is using grant funds to implement a holistic dementia-capable model addressing critical gaps for rural older adults and their family and friends caregiving. Strategies include increasing cognitive testing and early diagnosis and expanding care navigation services, as well as piloting a respite service.      

*Prairie Five Community Action Council, *Montevideo, $42,765. Using a pop-up “mobile community center” model across its five-county service area, Prairie Five will offer dementia and brain health education, cognitive screening and individualized family and friend caregiving support in 10 communities. A four-part radio series on dementia, “Shining a Light on Memory Loss,” will also be developed and aired through a partnership with local radio.

*Regents of the University of Minnesota, *Minneapolis, $49,961. Grand funds will support “Honoring Elder Wisdom,” a two-day regional gathering on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation centered on education and support around Alzheimer's disease and related dementias for Native American people and those who serve them. Area providers will collaborate with three Minnesota Tribal Nations and the Memory Keepers Medical Discovery Team at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth. The event includes experiential, evidence-based dementia education and resources for family and friends caregiving.

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