Bridge Youth Program & Navigator Transportation

My name is Dr. Bashir Easter and I am aligning my research completed in 2020. I have started a Bridge program for People of Color (POC) adolescent caregivers that care for loved ones living in homes with Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias ADRD diagnoses. POC s have a high prevalence of Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias ADRD diagnoses. Inequalities in ADRD diagnoses among six different ethnic groups of patients with dementia: POC s, Asian-Americans, Latino, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, Alaska Natives (AIANs) and Whites. Across a 14-year time frame, this massive research studied over 250,000 ADRD 28 patients, ages 64 and older. It was found that African Americans had a 40% higher risk of ADRD than Whites. Most people with ADRD live at home, with family caregivers who are their informal caregivers. The informal caregivers are usually an unpaid family member or friend that aids in daily care activities for an individual unable to perform self-care needs. POC families have strong cultural beliefs in shared caregiving. Associated with these families is a cultural expectation for family members to provide care without questioning their caregiving roles, including adolescents. This obligation as a cultural belief called familism, which is a strong sense of commitment to one’s family. Adolescents providing care to a relative with ADRD are considered hidden caregivers in family caregiver systems. The POC adolescent caregivers provided care for family members with an array of care needs. Including but not limited to ADLs of washing, dressing, walking, using the toilet, and feeding and the IADLs, such as shopping and meal preparation, house cleaning, communication, and medication. These services have been listed as certifiable skills by the National Association for Home Care personal care assistance. 

OBJECTIVE: To create a pathway for POC adolescent caregivers an avenue for their skills of home base care to be certified through a paid credit-based curriculum. OUR PROPOSAL In collaboration with local agencies, Alzheimer’s agency, the POC Nurses association, a local University and a Government entity, a paid credited personal care worker course will be administered to POC adolescent caregivers. The curriculum emphasizes aspects of providing personal and supportive/rehabilitative in-home and facility-based health care including clients' rights, communication, rehabilitation, positioning and transfer skills, infection control, and safety. This is an in-person course combining lectures with laboratory practice of learned skills. Which will include Alzheimer’s disease and related Dementia training.