This page contains information and resources related to the third cohort of grantee partners in Exhale – The Family Caregiver Initiative. In October 2024, Exhale awarded nearly $2.2 million for 11 new respite programs across Southeast Michigan made up of partnerships among 50 organizations. These new projects include support groups, educational workshops, respite expos, community engagement activities, and more. Read the full press release here.
Caregiver Support Program
Lead Organization: Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS)
Supporting Organization: The Senior Alliance
The Caregiver Support Program is designed to empower those providing essential daily care for elderly family members. The program will bring caregiver groups together twice a month, offering access to professionals in health, mental health, and other areas to address the emotional toll caregiving can take. With support from ACCESS’s 120 programs, they will meet additional needs the caregivers may have, including offering respite care to alleviate the demands of caregiving. Nursing students will provide scheduled respite services. The program will also provide resources to help caregivers navigate the challenges they face and will include two recreational outings each year, along with a stipend for participation.
Caregiver Connect + Companion Café
Lead Organization: Bloomfield Township
Supporting Organizations: Alzheimer’s Association MI Chapter, Jewish Family Services, AgeWays
Caregiver Connect is a caregiver guided program delivering respite, information, and programs while the care receivers are engaged in complimentary adult day services. This three-hour program will meet monthly in 2024 and then twice monthly in 2025-2027. Companion Café is an opportunity for caregivers and receivers to do something creative, social, and enjoyable together like crafts, games, or music. The two-hour program will meet monthly.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s Caregiver Expo
Lead Organization: Dementia and Alzheimer’s Association of St. Clair County
Supporting Organizations: St. Clair County Community Mental Health, Council on Aging, Star Path, Lakewood Shores Assisted Living, Life Skills Centers, LLC, Bright Future Memory Care Services
The 2025 and 2027 Dementia and Alzheimer’s Caregiver Respite Expos will showcase available respite services, resources, and stories, and offer a day of respite activities for caregivers in Southeast Michigan. The Expos will offer a mix of relaxing, educational, and entertaining activities by bringing together caregivers, healthcare professionals, community organizations, and respite service providers.
Caregiver Respite Program
Lead Organization: Gilda’s Club
Supporting Organization: Lori’s Hands
Gilda’s Club Metro Detroit (GCMD) and Lori’s Hands are partnering to launch an innovative caregiver respite program to support caregivers of older adults with cancer in Wayne County. This three-pronged program includes:
This initiative will combine the resources and expertise of GCMD and Lori’s Hands to address the unique challenges caregivers face, offering social, emotional, and practical support. The program will be led by LaShawnda Greenwood, LMSW, GCMD Program Manager, in collaboration with Maddi Riemenschneider, LMSW, Lori’s Hands Metro Detroit Chapter Manager.
The Mindful Connections Neighborhood Hub
Lead Organization: Jewish Family Services of Metro Detroit, Oakland County
Supporting Organizations: The J, Dorothy & Peter Brown Adult Day Care Center, Alzheimer’s Association, Dementia Friendly Saline
The Mindful Connections Neighborhood Hub will be a Dementia-friendly neighborhood hub that will serve as a community space dedicated to supporting caregivers and their loved ones with Alzheimer’s or Dementia. The hub will allow people with Alzheimer’s or Dementia and their caregivers to engage in activities together, and reduce the stigma associated with adult-day programs and nursing home sessions. The Hub will bring together non-profit service providers to provide wrap-around services including transportation, long-term care planning, educational activities, peer support groups, group respite, and more. The Hub will establish a Memory Café as well. Exhale’s support will be focused on supporting the space needed at the J, group respite and caregiver workshops, the Memory Café, and Dementia-friendly moves.
Give Yourself a Break Today
Lead Organization: Karmanos Cancer Institute
Supporting Organizations: Costick Senior Center Farmington Hills, AgeWays, Detroit Area Agency on Aging, Senior Alliance, Bluebird Cancer Retreats, Camp Make-a-Dream
Give Yourself a Break Today will be a free healing arts program for family caregivers of older adults in the cancer community. The Caring Crew will also reach out to family caregivers to coach them on how best to receive respite. Respite opportunities will be provided both in-person and via Zoom throughout the week. This program will also help fund caregivers to attend Camp Make-a-Dream and Bluebird Cancer retreats that offer respite for caregivers and patients.
Staycation on the Ovation
Lead Organization: Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA)
Supporting Organizations: The Art Experience, Thrivant Community Board, OUPIECE/Oakland Community College/Oakland University, HomeInstead, Detroit Institute of Arts, Champ Life
OLHSA’s “Staycation on the Ovation” offers a one-time, three-hour mini vacation for caregivers balancing responsibilities for both older adult loved ones and grandchildren. While caregivers enjoy pampering and relaxation on a chartered cruise, care recipients will be supported onboard or at home by dedicated helpers; event volunteers include Detroit Institute of Arts, Oakland University, and many more.
Recurring Respite for Caregivers, Companions for Participants
Lead Organization: PACE Southeast Michigan
Supporting Organizations: Catholic Charities of Southeast Michigan, MCHS Family of Services
The Recurring Respite for Caregivers program will offer sessions of in-home respite for participants and their caregivers. These respite sessions will last several hours, take place where they are needed most (typically in the home), and be offered on a recurring basis so caregivers can experience the benefits of ongoing, predictable breaks. Volunteers, who are themselves older adults, will visit participants to provide friendship, activity and small acts of support. Because their loved one is in trusted hands, caregivers can use respite sessions for rest, social visits or errands while having confidence that their loved one is receiving the highest quality support and the benefits of a friendly visit.
Rest and Recharge – Helping Hands
Lead Organization: Strategic Community Solutions
Supporting Organizations: ABC Senior Day Care, Lakeland Building and Construction, Michigan District Baptist Association, B.M.E. State Convention, Strategic Family Solutions, LLC
Strategic Community Solutions has partnered with adult day centers, professional service providers, church affiliates, and community-based organizations to ensure caregivers receive seamless coverage and enhancements to their quality of life in moments of much-needed respite. Rest and Recharge – Helping Hands project will provide a resource of information, entertainment and self-improvement options and basic maintenance needs in and around the home of either the caregiver or their care recipient. A “Caregiver Tool Kit” will be developed and distributed. The Tool Kit will include resources, tips, checklists (medications, dosages, doctors and emergency contacts) to assist with the organization of relative and necessary information.
Huron Valley PACE Caregiver Respite Support Expansion
Lead Organization: UMRC Porter Hills Foundation
Supporting Organizations: AARP, Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels, Zilke Farms, Emergent Health, AA Housing Community, PACE
The Huron Valley PACE Caregiver Respite Support Expansion project will provide respite opportunities to family caregivers who do not meet the income cutoff required to receive free PACE programming. This expanded group will be invited to attend the monthly Tuesday Caregiver Support Groups and their care recipient to the day center. They will also provide the option of respite care for up to eight days a month at Huron Valley PACE, and host quarterly Saturday Morning Respite at the day center.
The Caregiver Caravan Project
Lead Organization: Frenchtown Center for Active Adults
Supporting Organizations: United Way of Monroe and Lenawee Counties, Monroe County Opportunity Program, AgeWays Nonprofit Senior Services, and Frenchtown Charter Township
The primary objective of the Caregiver Caravan project is to take the caregiver respite opportunity to the next level. Even though our Adult Day Service program provides respite for caregivers to work, keep appointments, get groceries, and relax, it could provide much more. Giving them a chance to mingle with other caregivers, unwind, and maybe take advantage of something different, something they usually would not have the resources to do. Enabling caregivers to participate in area events and activities with the assurance their loved one is cared for in our Adult Day Services. This project focuses on providing transportation and respite opportunities for caregivers and their loved ones in parts of Monroe County that present significant limitations in caregivers and loved one transit. The project includes purchasing a modern vehicle with a rear wheelchair lift and a SmartFloor system. Since many caregivers themselves are elderly and are caring for a spouse, they struggle to get their loved one safely in and out of their vehicle without assistance. While the more urbanized areas in Monroe County have access to public transit, the rural areas are less fortunate, often limiting caregiver access to respite programs and care opportunities for their loved ones.