NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Laurie Jake, ATRA Communications Coordinator
Phone (480) 460-1525 or
Ann D Huston MPA, CTRS
Phone: (703) 683-9420

Johnson & Johnson/Rosalynn Carter Institute Awards Grant to FGCU Center for Positive Aging and its Recreational Therapy Program

(Alexandria, VA) The Johnson & Johnson/Rosalynn Carter Institute Caregivers Program awarded the Florida Gulf Coast University Center for Positive Aging in Fort Myers, FL with a $10,000 grant to assist the Center in coping with devastation suffered during hurricanes in 2004. According to the Dean of the College of Health Professions Denise Heinemann, “The Center for Positive Aging staff extended themselves in so many extraordinary ways after the hurricanes. They are most deserving of recognition by the Johnson & Johnson/Rosalynn Carter Institute Caregivers Program.”

Dr. Linda Buettner, the director of the Center for Positive Aging is a long time member of ATRA, the nation’s premier membership association for recreational therapists. The Center for Positive Aging is a remarkable program that not only provides important service to the older adult population of southwest Florida, but they are involved with groundbreaking research in the area of care for older adults with Alzheimer’s and related dementia.

Recognized as a leading Alzheimer’s researcher, Dr. Buettner has written numerous articles for journals on disturbing behaviors for older adults with dementia, and Dr. Buettner co-authored the Dementia Practice Guideline for Recreational Therapy: Treatment of Disturbing Behaviors. The Dementia Practice Guideline is intended for recreational therapists working with older adults with dementia in all care settings. ATRA's Dementia Practice Guidelines represent an exciting advancement in the management of dementia. This publication provides a tool that can make a marked difference in the quality of life for a person living with dementia.

ATRA President Nancy McFarlane, CTRS stated, “On behalf of our membership I want to offer my sincere appreciation to Johnson & Johnson and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Human Development for their commitment to support programs which improve the health and quality of life for persons who are acting as caregivers for chronically ill, disabled or elderly family members or friends. McFarlane stated, “The Johnson & Johnson/Rosalynn Carter Institute Caregivers Program is such a valuable and important program and I Applaud your choice to award such a deserving program.”

Johnson & Johnson established a $100,000 hurricane relief fund, through its partnership with the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, to assist caregiving organizations hardest hit. The program was formed to ensure caregivers continue to receive “necessary support services that may have been suspended due to property and financial damages suffered by providers,” project director Laura J. Bauer said. “Johnson & Johnson and the RCI are proud to work in partnership to help caregivers with special needs during this time of recovery. We want these funds to be awarded to caregiving organizations that can most effectively respond to caregivers needs during this time of service disruption and rebuilding,” RCI executive director Ronda C. Talley said.

The Johnson & Johnson/Rosalynn Carter Institute Caregivers Program is one of Johnson & Johnson's newest signature program commitments. Its principal mission is to support programs which improve the health and quality of life for persons who are acting as caregivers for chronically ill, disabled or elderly family members or friends.

For more information, please contact the ATRA National Office at (703) 683-9420.

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The American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) was founded in 1984 to advance the the profession of therapeutic recreation. ATRA is a non-profit professional membership organization dedicating 100% of resources and efforts to promote therapeutic recreation professionals in health care and human service settings. For more information, please contact the ATRA National Office