Oakwood Creative Care (OCC) is thrilled to announce that it has been awarded a grant by the Administration for Community Living (ACL)! With the ACL’s generous support, OCC will launch its Alzheimer’s Disease Program Initiative (ADPI), a multi-phase project directed toward expanding existing dementia care programs and creating new support options for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias and their family caregivers.
Making Cognitive Stimulation a Top Priority
A major part of what makes OCC’s care model unique is that it was built to reflect each person’s strengths and interests. “It’s not only stimulating, but it’s a learnable situation. I find it to be very enjoyable, and I feel good about it afterwards,” says Ed, a member of one of OCC’s Adult Day Clubs.
With this grant from the ACL, OCC looks forward to continuing its joy-centered approach to providing evidence-based engagement for Club members like Ed – the first step of which will include orienting the Clubs’ engagement specialists as Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) interventionalists.
CST is a series of carefully designed activities and exercises that promote thinking, concentration, communication, and memory – all of which play a key role in enhancing the lives of older adults with dementia by promoting mental stimulation and, most importantly, a greater sense of purpose.
“I’m grateful to be a part of it, because I need cognitive stimulation. We all do. Everybody.”
– Maggie, Adult Day Club Member
Crafting Real Solutions for Real Life Needs
The next phase includes the introduction of two essential roles: a counselor and a Healthy Living Specialist, both designed to provide holistic, wrap-around services that honor the lived experience of families navigating dementia.
Through compassionate and personalized counseling, caregivers and their loved ones will have access to emotional support, mental health resources, and expert guidance to help them process challenges, reduce stress, and build resilience. These services are intended to uplift families and help them rediscover connection and purpose amidst the complexities of caregiving.
OCC is especially thrilled to welcome Dr. Mari Mercado as its new Healthy Living Specialist. Dr. Mercado brings a wealth of expertise in integrative wellness, neuroscience, and creative healing practices to this pivotal role.
Her work will focus on empowering families by building a strong foundation of healthy living and resilience through stress management, self-sufficiency, and finding strength in creativity. She will guide caregivers and individuals living with dementia in nourishing their bodies, safely managing medications, calming their minds, and cultivating moments of joy, connection, and personal empowerment.
Together, these new services will form a comprehensive, human-centered support system that uplifts the entire family—restoring hope, nurturing resilience, and helping caregivers and their loved ones thrive beyond diagnosis.
Encouraging the Workforce to Better Understand Dementia
Additionally, the grant will allow OCC to establish a Workforce Training Center specializing in dementia care. This innovative initiative aims to build a more informed, compassionate, and skilled workforce by equipping professionals with the tools and training necessary to meet the complex needs of individuals living with dementia and their families.
Mental Health First Aid is a nationally recognized program that empowers participants to identify, understand, and respond to mental health and substance use challenges, including those that often co-occur with dementia.
In response to new legislative requirements, the Training Center will also offer the Direct Care Worker Curriculum, ensuring that essential caregiving staff meet state standards while strengthening their foundational knowledge and caregiving competencies.
To further deepen the workforce’s dementia-specific skills, OCC will incorporate Dementia Capable Care, an evidence-based training program that emphasizes person-centered approaches, effective communication, and the behavioral and environmental strategies proven to enhance quality of life for those living with dementia.
By offering this comprehensive suite of trainings, OCC is not only addressing the urgent need for better dementia care—it is sparking a broader culture shift, making it the workforce’s business to truly understand dementia and empowering professionals to deliver care with dignity, empathy, and excellence.
There is no “Clocking Out” in Dementia Care
This year marks 50 years of OCC having the immense honor of providing creative care solutions to families and loved ones affected by dementia. It is safe to say that things are definitely changing, and with an optimistic look to the next 50 years, OCC’s President and CEO, Sherri Friend, had this to say:
“Oakwood Creative Care was founded from a need to offer daytime support and engagement to families impacted by memory loss and other age-related conditions. However, we recognize that a lot of families still face challenges at home, and we want to ensure they feel fully supported in their journey, even after their loved one has left the Club for the day.
That is why initiatives like these are so important: they allow us to offer a wider array of services and reach more families in need. There is still so much work to be done to improve the world of healthcare for older adults, and we feel so fortunate to have the ACL’s support in turning positive change into reality.”
Thank You, ACL!
OCC is deeply grateful for the generosity of the ACL and is excited to leverage this opportunity to continue enhancing the quality of life for older adults with memory loss. This next chapter promises to be the start of bringing even more joy and support to the community!
Did You Know?
Oakwood Creative Care is bringing back the JOY in aging! We believe a diagnosis should not have to define your life. Instead, we have devoted our mission to reigniting hope for caregivers and older adults with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other age-related challenges. Click the button below to learn more about how we do this through our research-based, cutting-edge, creative care model found at each of our Day Clubs.
