Mid-Columbia Senior Center Receives $100,000 Grant to Launch Dementia Respite Program

Jul 21

Written By Columbia Community Connection

The Dalles, Ore., July 21, 2025 — The Alzheimer’s Association Center for Dementia Respite Innovation (CDRI) has awarded a $100,000 grant to Mid-Columbia Senior Center to support the launch of “Harbor Respite at Mid-Columbia Senior Center,” a new program designed to provide high-quality, person-centered respite care for individuals living with dementia and their family caregivers.

The grant is part of a larger $4 million initiative by the Alzheimer’s Association CDRI to fund 41 community-based service providers across 26 states. The goal is to expand access to innovative, affordable, and sustainable dementia-specific respite care, particularly in underserved and high-risk communities.

“We are honored to be selected as a recipient of this important grant,” said Rob Garrett, Director of Mid-Columbia Senior Center. “Harbor Respite is possible because the community came together to make this happen. Together, we’re giving caregivers much-needed time to rest and recharge.”

The Harbor Respite program will provide four to six hours per week of structured, supportive care tailored to the unique needs of people living with dementia. The program emphasizes accessibility, collaboration, and measurable outcomes to ensure long-term impact.

Alzheimer’s and other dementias have a significant and growing impact on state health systems, budgets, and workforces. At the local level, gaps in resources for families, particularly in rural areas, may include limited care options, capacity and provider challenges, cost barriers, and unique transportation needs.

“An estimated 1 in 10 older adults in Wasco County are living with Alzheimer’s disease,” states Tracy Morgan, Alzheimer’s Association Executive Director for Oregon and Southwest Washington. “Hundreds of families are looking for care and support.”

This funding comes at a critical time for The Dalles, where many families face limited access to affordable, dementia-specific respite care. By launching Harbor Respite, Mid-Columbia Senior Center is helping to fill a vital gap, offering caregivers relief and individuals living with dementia an environment tailored to their needs.

The Alzheimer’s Association is proud to support this work through the Alzheimer’s Association Center for Dementia Respite Innovation (CDRI), a national initiative committed to expanding innovative, person-centered respite care in communities across the country. To learn more about CDRI visit alz.org/cdri.

About Alzheimer’s Association®
The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia®. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.

About Alzheimer's Association Center for Dementia Respite Innovation

The Alzheimer’s Association Center for Dementia Respite Innovation (CDRI) funds new respite care innovation projects across the country. Over the course of five years, the CDRI will award $20 million in competitive grants to local respite care providers to improve and increase the delivery of person-centered dementia care with a focus on innovation, collaboration, outcomes, accessibility, affordability and sustainability.