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Clinicians and advocates highlight caregiver navigation and faith-based respite as essential supports
Summary
Speakers described care‑navigator models and faith‑based respite as immediate, scalable supports for families: NAN’s navigator program reported reductions in falls and hospitalizations; Respite For All shared a low‑cost, volunteer model replicated across 19 states.
Several presenters told the Advisory Council that therapies and diagnostics alone will fall short unless caregiver supports and navigation services are scaled.
Dr. Rosemary Laird described NAN Navigator, a one‑to‑one care‑navigator model used in Florida that combines a technological risk‑assessment platform with personalized navigation. In pilot and early waves, caregivers reported lower stress, fewer falls and fewer hospitalizations for their loved ones; navigators also helped with planning, safety assessments and connecting families to legal and financial counsel.
Daphne Johnston of Respite For All urged broader use of volunteer, faith‑based respite programs that provide four hours of social engagement and caregiver relief. Johnston said the model is inexpensive to replicate (a $650 toolkit and one part‑time local coordinator) and reported 72 sites across 19 states with a 92% sustainability rate among launched programs. She emphasized accessibility for low‑income families and community integration rather than a medicalized service.
Speakers and council members agreed that caregiver supports should be paired with clinical advances and that investments in navigator workforces, respite capacity, and training for clinicians will be critical to realizing benefits at scale. Several council members recommended the subcommittees explore policy levers and state‑level advocacy to expand these models.
