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2023 Grants for Dementia Patients: How to Apply and the Benefits for Caregivers

8 minute readLast updated October 31, 2023
fact checkedon October 31, 2023
Written by Melissa Bean, senior living writer
Reviewed by Rachel Levy, BSW, MPH, senior living expertRachel Levy, BSW, MPH, and a senior national account manager at A Place for Mom, has worked in senior care for more than 20 years.
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Caregiving for a dementia patient can lead to sleepless nights, exhausting conversations, and a host of concerns surrounding wanderingfalls, and household safety. However, you may still be able to take some time for yourself through respite care funded by a dementia home care grant, like the one offered by the non-profit HFC. This grant can help pay for a part-time, in-home caregiver, though, it’s important to note that while the grant pays for a respite caregiver, there is no cash value. You can use these hours to work, go to the store, or tend to your own health care needs. Taking time to care for yourself benefits not only you, but your loved one as well.

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A dementia care grant program

To help long-term caregivers with some respite care, the non-profit HFC has partnered with Home Instead to offer the HFC In-Home Care Grant Program.

There are two grant options under the HFC In-Home Care Grant Program:

  • Recharge Respite Grant. This grant offers 50 hours of respite care that must be used within 3 months of receiving the grant.
  • Extended Relief Respite Grant. As a six-month grant, the Extended Relief Respite Grant offers 25 hours of respite care per week for the length of the grant.[01]

While these grants are based on a one-time award, family caregivers can typically reapply for another grant if needed. Limits may apply for those receiving more than one grant. Funding may be limited, especially for the Extended Relief Respite Grant, which can affect the availability of grants.[01]

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Our free tool provides options, advice, and next steps based on your unique situation.

How to apply for the HFC In-Home Care Grant Program

To apply for the grant, you’ll need to review the requirements to confirm your eligibility and complete a comprehensive application.

HFC In-Home Care Grant Program requirements

Caregiver applicants must typically meet the following criteria:

  • Live in the U.S. or Canada
  • Have financial and emotional hardships related to caregiving for a person with dementia
  • Have a loved one professionally diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia [01]

Unfortunately, caregivers living in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories are not eligible for the grant program as of this article’s latest update. [01]

Online application for HFC In-Home Care Grant Program

As a caregiver, you can apply online through the HFC In-Home Care Grant Application portal. It’s important to provide a complete description of your caregiving situation when applying for these grants. This will look different for each caregiver as every caregiving situation is unique.

Note: Caregivers can only submit one application per quarter.

How caregivers benefit from grants for dementia patients

Caregivers often face their own struggles as a result of caregiving. These challenges may include:

In fact, caregivers have a higher rate of depression and lower rates of social activity and life satisfaction compared to non-caregivers of a similar age, according to a study in Psychology and Aging. [02]

However, respite care provided by grants like these can help caregivers retain their resiliency in order to care for a loved one longer, according to recent research conducted by the University of Oklahoma.[03] They also facilitate time for essential self-care for caregivers.

How to maximize caregiver benefits from dementia care grants

The answer of how to maximize caregiver benefits from the HFC In-Home Care Grant Program will be different for each caregiver. Grant recipients can use these respite hours provided by the dementia care grants to do whatever is most helpful for them.

Caregivers may benefit from doing the following while using respite care:

  • Joining a caregiver support group
  • Catching up on rest
  • Running errands
  • Exercising or weightlifting
  • Attending essential medical appointments
  • Going to counseling for mental health support
  • Working a temporary, part-time job
  • Visiting with friends and family
  • Participating in religious or spiritual services

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Alternative dementia care options

Unfortunately, not everyone who applies for a grant receives one. And, while these grants are useful, they don’t provide a permanent solution to your loved one’s memory care needs.

If you find that you need more support outside of what you can provide on your own, you may wish to consider in-home care options or even a memory care community for your loved one.

For personalized help, reach out to one of the Senior Living Advisors at A Place for Mom. They can provide you with advice customized to your loved one’s unique memory care needs – all at no cost to you.

SHARE THE ARTICLE

  1. Haley, W. E., Levine, E. G., Brown, S. L., & Bartolucci, A. A. (1987). Stress, appraisal, coping, and social support as predictors of adaptational outcome among dementia caregivers. Psychology and Aging.

  2. Roberts, E., & Struckmeyer, K. M. (2018, February 9). The impact of respite programming on caregiver resilience in dementia care: A qualitative examination of family caregiver perspectives. INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing.

Meet the Author
Melissa Bean, senior living writer

Melissa Bean is a former veterans content specialist at A Place for Mom, where she crafted easy-to-understand articles about VA resources, senior care payment options, dementia caregiving, and more. Melissa pairs over a decade of writing experience with her time as a military spouse, during which she organized and led a multistate military family support group.

Reviewed by

Rachel Levy, BSW, MPH, senior living expert

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical, legal or financial advice or create a professional relationship between A Place for Mom and the reader. Always seek the advice of your health care provider, attorney or financial advisor with respect to any particular matter, and do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of anything you have read on this site. Links to third-party websites are only for the convenience of the reader; A Place for Mom does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites.

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