Maude’s Awards: Seeking Innovation in Alzheimer’s Care

Nominations for the 3^rd Annual Maude’s Awards program open on Monday, March 14. Maude’s Awards was developed to gather and share innovations that will enrich the quality of life for persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and their care partners.

Maude’s Awards was created in 2019 by Richard Ferry in honor of his beloved wife of 64 years. In 2013, Maude was diagnosed with dementia. Richard has continued their loving journey as a tireless advocate to discover and share innovations that speak to the challenges and needs of persons living with dementia, and their care partners

Annually, Maude’s Awards makes up to eight awards—three $25,000 awards to organizations and up to five $5,000 awards to individuals—for innovations and excellence in one of four categories of care. Individuals do not need to be a dementia care professional to qualify—Maude’s Awards is interested in how family caregivers and persons with dementia are making life better for themselves. Here are the categories:

• Making Connections—Awarded to the individual or organization that has created meaningful opportunities for persons living with dementia to connect with the people and world around them. Examples include creative arts programs, intergenerational opportunities, community service, and advocacy projects.
• Cultivating Health—Awarded to the individual or organization that has provided exceptional care or education that supports the long-term physical health of persons living with dementia. Examples include exercise, nutrition, diet, and new or more accessible health protocols.
• Supporting Care Partners—Awarded to the individual or organization that has provided impactful education, training, or support for care partners of persons living with dementia. Examples include adaptive clothing or equipment, respite, emotional support, educational tools, and ease of access to medical care and social services.
• Treating by Design—Awarded to the individual or organization that has significantly improved the living spaces and/or mobility of persons living with dementia. Examples include physical environments that improve quality of life, accessible transportation, and ease/safety of wheelchair transfer.

These are awards for achievement, as opposed to grants for future programs. The intent of Maude’s Awards is to reward programs that have demonstrated success. The nominated program must have been active in 2021 or the year prior. If the program is currently active or recurring, it must have completed one year of operation, or enough time to demonstrate success.

Read about the 2021 award recipients in  “Maude’s Awards: Recognition for Innovation in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care” (AgeWise King County, November 2021).

Applications for the 2022 awards open on March 14 and will be accepted through May 16, 2022 (6 p.m. Pacific Time). For more information, visit www.maudesawards.org.