The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation has awarded $7.9 million to the Arkansas Aging Initiative in the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging to expand the Schmieding Home Caregiver Training Program to four more Arkansas cities.
The institute is located at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the Schmieding program is already used in Jonesboro, Pine Bluff, Texarkana and West Memphis, funded by a 2009 Reynolds Foundation grant.
The program, developed at the Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education in Springdale, will be expanded to Fort Smith, Little Rock, Hot Springs and El Dorado.
The program offers educational opportunities for those who want to care for older adults in their own homes. There are four levels of certification for people wishing to make a career out of home caregiving (paid caregivers) and two workshops for those who want to provide care to their loved ones.
The Schmieding Home Caregiver Training Program was inspired by Lawrence H. Schmieding, who struggled to find competent, compassionate home care for a brother with dementia. In 1998, the Schmieding Foundation donated $15 million to UAMS to establish the Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education in Springdale.