Fisher Joins Lifespan, SWAN in Creating Respite Opportunities for Family Caregivers of Older Adults

A partnership between St. John Fisher University, Lifespan of Greater Rochester, Inc., and Southwest Area Neighborhood Association Inc. at the Montgomery Center (SWAN) will reimagine and increase respite opportunities for family caregivers of older adults in the Rochester region.

Funded by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, and managed by The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI), the 2022 Exhale Initiative involves a total of more than 60 partner organizations across Western New York and Washtenaw County, MI, who will work in teams led by the 13 grantees including the collaboration between Lifespan, SWAN, and Fisher.

Both Lifespan and SWAN currently provide a host of offerings to caregivers, including in-home respite, care management, education, wellness classes, and intentional programs to serve the older adult population. The Exhale Initiative will expand services in Monroe County by leveraging the expertise and resources of community-based organizations to develop a multi-pronged approach to create a respite menu for caregivers.

A key aspect of the initiative is developing a structured volunteer program that will help address workforce shortages. Lifespan will develop an “incubator” drop-in program at SWAN’s Montgomery Neighborhood Center, in the southwest region of Rochester. Alongside community volunteers, students at the University will engage in evidence-based respite training as a part of community-engaged learning opportunities, internships, and service programs at Fisher. By participating in the partnership, Fisher will offer students an opportunity to gain hands-on respite care experience, and a faculty fellow will engage undergraduates in academic research and program evaluation. The project will result in the creation of a toolkit based on the student volunteer model with the intent of replicating the structured volunteer program among community-based organizations and other higher education institutions.

“St. John Fisher University has a strong and long-standing history of community engagement through multiple departments and programs,” said Emily Colliss, assistant director for the Institute for Civic and Community Engagement. “The University is grateful for this opportunity to collaborate with two well-established organizations, Lifespan and SWAN, Inc., to collectively create an innovative, person-centered, drop-in respite program where community members, students, staff, and faculty can come together, learn, and engage in a meaningful way in support of the countless caregivers in our community.”  

For more information on Exhale, visit www.exhaleforcaregivers.org.

About Exhale, the Family Caregiver Initiative

Funded by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, and managed by The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI), Exhale, the Family Caregiver Initiative, is dedicated to offering innovative solutions that give caregivers of older adults an opportunity to breathe a little easier. Visit www.exhaleforcaregivers.org to learn more.