By Carol Berne, Senior Vice President of Development


We are now in our second year as CaringKind, and we are busier than ever. The numbers of clients in all program areas and Helpline callers continue to grow, showing us that the CaringKind name is reaching those who need us most. The importance of our work was recently reinforced in a major study conducted by The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which found that over the past fifteen years (1999 – 2014) the death rate in the U.S. from Alzheimer’s disease increased by 55%. The report further stated that as the number of older Americans with Alzheimer’s disease rises, more family members are assuming the emotionally and physically challenging role of caregivers than ever before, and that “supportive interventions can lessen the burden for caregivers and improve the quality of care for people with Alzheimer’s disease.”

CaringKind has been at the forefront of improving standards of care and quality of care for over 30 years. Though there is no cure for Alzheimer’s there is a way to transform a life and to have hope for the future – and that is through good care. In so many ways, CaringKind has been a leader in the field. Our palliative care initiative, for example, which started as a pilot in 2012, is transforming the way care is provided in nursing homes for persons with late stage dementia. We continue to set the standards in this area and continue to receive nationwide recognition for bringing dementia-capable palliative care to a large, urbanized and unionized environment, and now to other settings.

We also launched a Technology Fair this year, at CaringKind, to bring the latest technological advances (from hearing assistive devices to mobile apps) to help caregivers as well as their relative with dementia better manage their daily lives. The overwhelming response from our clients indicated the tremendous interest in technology’s role in caregiving. Our “innovators” were not only established companies but also young entrepreneurs who were personally affected by dementia and saw technology as the future to caregiving.

We are dependent on financial support to keep our doors open and our programs free of charge. One of the most important ways you can help us is by supporting one of our four CaringKind Alzheimer’s Walks this fall. This year we will bring the Technology Exposition to the Riverside Park Walk on October 15th so that our Walkers can experience the technological advances helping caregivers today and in the future. Whether making a donation, forming a Walk team, or getting your company involved, your participation is crucial to us. Please call 646-744-2900 to register or please email us at:
walk@caringkindnyc.org.

As always if you wish to make a gift to support a specific program or service, or to recognize one of our staff members who has been helpful to you, please give me a call at 646-744-2905 or email me at cberne@caringkindnyc.org. Thank you. See you at the Walk.

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