|
NEC Foundation of America grant helps
build Alzheimer's-friendly virtual home
Newswise — The NEC Foundation of America has
awarded a $45,000 grant to the Division of Geriatrics at Weill
Cornell Medical College to support the development of the
Alzheimer's-Friendly Virtual Home, a unique and innovative Web site
with graphics-rich information for caregivers on ways to best adapt
a home for persons with Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD),
enhancing their safety and preserving their independence.
Most of the 4.5 million
Americans with ADRD today are cared for at home,
primarily by family members.
"Creating an Alzheimer's-friendly home with
modifications to the kitchen, bathroom, stairs and
more is one of the most important -- and challenging
-- roles for the caregiver," says Rosemary Bakker,
M.S., ASID, research associate in gerontologic
design in medicine, Division of Geriatrics and
Gerontology, Weill Cornell Medical College.
"Properly adapting a home greatly improves the
quality of life for a person with ADRD and eases the stress of
caregiving.
"While there is already much written
information available, caregivers have expressed a desire for an
interactive Web site with 3-D animations, videos and written content
to properly illustrate the complex process of changing the home to
match the stage of the patient's disease.
"Thanks to grants, including from the NEC Foundation of America, we
will meet this need by building the first Alzheimer's-Friendly
Virtual Home."
The Web site is expected to go live in 2008.
In addition to the NEC Foundation grant, the Alzheimer's-Friendly
Virtual Home is funded by a three-year grant from the Alzheimer's
Association ($240,000), a grant from the Retirement Research
Foundation ($204,200) and an award from the Helen Bader Foundation
($150,000).
For more information, patients may call (866) NYP-NEWS.
Weill Cornell Medical College
Weill Cornell Medical College -- located in New York City -- is
committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the
advancement of the art and science of medicine. Weill Cornell, which
is a principal academic affiliate of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital,
offers an innovative curriculum that integrates the teaching of
basic and clinical sciences, problem-based learning, office-based
preceptorships, and primary care and doctoring courses.
Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell
Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research in such areas
as stem cells, genetics and gene therapy, geriatrics, neuroscience,
structural biology, cardiovascular medicine, AIDS, obesity, cancer
and psychiatry -- and continue to delve ever deeper into the
molecular basis of disease in an effort to unlock the mysteries
behind the human body and the malfunctions that result in serious
medical disorders.
Weill Cornell Medical College is the
birthplace of many medical advances -- from the development of the
Pap test for cervical cancer to the synthesis of penicillin, the
first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., and
most recently, the world's first clinical trial for gene therapy for
Parkinson's disease. Weill Cornell's Physician Organization includes
650 clinical faculty, who provide the highest quality of care to
their patients. For more information, visit
http://www.med.cornell.edu.
NEC Foundation of America
NEC Foundation of America was established in 1991 and endowed at $10
million by NEC Corporation and its United States subsidiaries.
Income generated by the endowment is donated to nonprofit
organizations in the United States in support of programs with
national reach and impact in the arena of assistive technology for
people with disabilities.
Through its grants, NEC Foundation of America
underscores its philosophy of advancing society through technology
and enabling individuals to realize their full potential. For more
information, visit
http://www.necfoundation.org.
|
