This unique program is helping people who care for their loved ones with dementia and more

*Medical research has done wonders to rid populations of diseases; however, the U.S. health care system has failed to appropriate the right resources to Medicare patients with one or more chronic conditions. Health Quality Partners in Doylstown, PA enrolls Medicare patients with at least one chronic illness and hospitalization and sends a trained nurse to see them on a routine basis, whether they are healthy or sick. As a result, the HQP program has reduced hospitalizations and cut Medicare costs.

To help create change in her community and spur action to fighting against climate change, one woman turned to religion. Nana Firman, who is Muslim, found that when locals in an Indonesia region wouldn't take part in sustainable recovery efforts after being hit by a tsunami, her greatest resource became the Quran, which she utilized in her attempt to communicate the importance of environmental change. This strategy of using religion to promote environmentally sound choices has been successful internationally now and continues to grow.

Dementia units and long-term care homes for the elderly are often desolate and lonely places, with harried workers attempting to meet the needs of their patients while also meeting government-set metrics of success. For families and individuals, it can be difficult to imagine a better way. However, a pilot program in Canada called the Butterfly room is showing that dedicated efforts to making long-term care homes a vibrant and loving place for someone's last days has positive impacts for everyone - and is worth a government investment do right across the country.

A shortage of caregivers throughout the U.S. has forced the industry to rethink how it's attracting workers, especially men. From simplifying applications to better targeted outreach, organizations are implementing new strategies that, so far, are working.

Improving outcomes in addressing HIV requires reducing stigma. In Atlanta, Georgia, faith-based communities are embracing HIV prevention campaigns and courses. Bible Way Ministries provides HIV testing at community events and offers awareness campaigns aimed at reducing stigma. In Philadelphia, Faith in Action similarly recruits religious communities to increase HIV awareness.

Many religious institutions have to come up with creative ways to "congregate" amidst the coronavirus breakout and strict quarantine restrictions around the country. From drive-through confession to virtual Shabbat, congregations find a way to practice their faith, despite questions about the morality of practicing without an in-person community.

To better serve patients struggling with dementia, a hospital in Berlin established a department of geriatrics and began screening "patients for cognitive impairments upon admission, providing them with trained volunteers for personal support and non-pharmacological interventions to prevent delirium." This course of action has helped the hospital to diagnose cases earlier and offer dementia-specific care for patients, which consequently has reduced the prescribing of drugs for these patients.

To discourage the spread of misinformation about the Covid vaccine and decrease vaccine hesitancy in minority communities, religious leaders and other influential people in Britain have launched campaigns to dispel concerns. According to a survey about overall willingness to take the vaccine, the efforts – which include posters, sermons, a help line, and WhatsApp chats – have been working.

Virtual memory cafes for people with dementia are able to reach more people, avoid transportation and mobility barriers, and open new possibilities — like making new friends across the ocean. First pioneered in the Netherlands in the 1990s, memory cafes have spread around the world as a way for people experiencing memory loss and caregivers can find community and companionship.

The James L. West Center for Dementia Care’s Senior Day Program offers engaging activities like dance, music therapy and cooking classes, and a sense of community for people with dementia, while giving family caregivers a break. The Center currently cares for about 13 people each day, though it has the capacity for up to 20 people and is slated to expand to help more people.