DEER Program initiatives
Dementia Friendly Nevada
Lead administration and facilitation of Dementia Friendly Nevada, a statewide, volunteer-driven effort that aims to develop and promote communities that are respectful, educated, supportive and inclusive of persons living with dementia and their care partners, with community groups in urban, rural and tribal communities. This initiative is funded by the Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division.
Dementia Conversations
Dementia Conversations offers two opportunities each week to come together in an open and honest online discussion (held over Zoom) facilitated by a person living with dementia and a family-care partner about what it means to live well with dementia. Participants share their own perspectives, experiences and ideas about living well.
Dementia Friends program
State licensee for the awareness-raising Dementia Friends program, taught in person and online. The Dementia Friends program is a global movement that is changing the way people think, act, and talk about dementia. In the Dementia Friends information session, we cover the basics of dementia, discuss differences between dementia and normal aging, go through activities to better understand what it’s like to live with dementia, and then review strategies for effective communication with someone living with dementia.
Bravo Zulu: Achieving Excellence in Relationship-Centered Care
Development, delivery and evaluation of a comprehensive, evidence-informed, 12-hour family and professional care partner dementia education program: Bravo Zulu: Achieving Excellence in Relationship-Centered Care. This program, developed in partnership with the Nevada Department of Veterans Services and the Perry Foundation, has been nominated for an Abraham Lincoln Pillars of Excellence Award from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which recognizes state partners for outstanding programs that support Veterans in their states.
The NEST Collaborative
The NEST Collaborative provides virtual, volunteer-hosted, one-to-one and small group mutual social support opportunities—and telephone-based technology assistance—for elders and adults living with disabilities. The DEER Program leads this statewide collaboration of over 40 aging and social service organizations from across the state. This initiative is funded by the Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division.
Improving Care of Elders through Community and Academic Partnerships (ICECAP Nevada)
Partner with the UNR School of Medicine’s Sanford Center for Aging on a U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program grant. The DEER Program’s role is to provide comprehensive education for care partners of persons living with dementia and to conduct statewide outreach for the Improving Care of Elders through Community and Academic Partnerships (ICECAP Nevada) initiative, which includes inter-professional geriatrics and dementia care training for primary care providers, health professions students, long-term care professionals and family care partners.
The Quest Upstream
Development, delivery and evaluation of a comprehensive, evidence-informed community and neighborhood-team development program for long-term care/senior living communities, The Quest Upstream, which aims to foster and support dementia-inclusive residential care communities. Carol Woods Retirement Community in Chapel Hill, NC, Dr. Carson’s research partners for The Quest Upstream, received a 2018 Best Practice Award from Friends of Residents in Long-Term Care “for providing exemplary programming which reflects person-centered values, supports the rights of residents and improves quality of care.”
Disrupt Dementia
Co-developer and cast member of Disrupt Dementia, a non-fiction theater performance that is part of Dr. Bill Thomas’ international ChangingAging Tour, which blends qualitative research findings, medical science, storytelling, art and live music, to shatter damaging myths about aging and dementia, and to illuminate possibilities for supportive care partnering and living well. Dr. Carson has performed Disrupt Dementia in 51 cities across North America.