Cathedral Square Receives Alzheimer's Association Grant for Local Respite Care
WILLISTON, VT -- Cathedral Square has been awarded a grant for $125,000 from the Alzheimer’s Association Center for Dementia Respite Innovation (CDRI) to enhance the quality and availability of dementia-specific respite care for people living with dementia and their caregivers in Chittenden County.
Cathedral Square is one of 41 recipients chosen to receive grant funding from more than 200 applicants across the country. Funds will be used to pilot a new concept of providing respite care in Cathedral Square’s Memory Care at Allen Brook (MCAB) community in Williston to help caregivers get a break or respite from caring for their loved ones.
"We're honored to be selected as one of only 41 organizations nationwide to receive this competitive grant from the Alzheimer's Association Center for Dementia Respite Innovation," said CEO Kim Fitzgerald. "Family caregivers are the backbone of dementia care, often providing round-the-clock support with little relief. This funding will allow us to create a sustainable model that not only serves our local families but can be replicated by other communities facing similar challenges. We're committed to ensuring no caregiver has to face this journey alone."
In Vermont, more than 13,000 residents over 65 have Alzheimer's disease, and over 20,000 family members provide unpaid dementia care. With private memory care costing upwards of $15,000 per month and some individuals living in hospitals for months due to lack of alternatives, this respite program will provide essential relief for overwhelmed caregivers while ensuring professional, compassionate care in a secure environment.
In conjunction with the grant, Cathedral Square will also receive online training and ongoing technical assistance from the CDRI to ensure respite services are dementia-capable and to support sustainability. The CDRI will also collect data and evaluate the impact of these innovative projects from all grant recipients to inform public policy.
“We congratulate Cathedral Square on their grant and look forward to working with their team to help enhance respite care services for local dementia caregivers,” said Sam Fazio, Ph.D., vice president care and support programs and research, Alzheimer’s Association. “We intend to gain insights from each respite program we fund, ultimately developing a catalog of programs, tools and resources that will be easily accessible to interested caregivers and care providers.”
The Alzheimer’s Association created the CDRI in 2024 after receiving a $25 million grant from the Administration for Community Living (ACL), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Over the next four years, the CDRI will provide $25 million in grant funding to local respite providers and organizations to enhance the quality and availability of respite care nationwide. Visit alz.org/cdri to see the full list of this year’s grant recipients.
Funding disclosure
This project is supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $13,261,685 with 75 percent funded by ACL/HHS and $3,285,728 amount with 25 percent funded by non-government source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Beginning in the fall of 2025, we will need volunteers to support this dementia respite pilot. Volunteer opportunities will include planning activities for participants, bringing participants out to the garden, or helping to serve meals. For more information, please email our Community Engagement Specialist Cathie Cassano or give her a call at 802-777-4543. You can also find more information about volunteering here.