A community-collaborative partnership developed within a caring faith-based initiative was the needed linkage between a community and its Alzheimer’s caregivers. The  conceptual model for “Mornings Out” was adapted from caring communities parish nursing underpinnings. Both macro and micro levels of collaboration were included from the perspective of "caregiver as client". The linkage concepts of community assets, cohesion and capacities were directly related to the collaborative partnership model.  Assessment and interaction from the strengths perspective served as a guide at for macro level community involvement and the micro level of client care.  The initiative included an aging group (n= 27) of Alzheimer’s clients and their concurrent family caregivers (n= 32). The vulnerabilities of the group were determined through a 2004 community assessment.  The city/county public health services partnered with a community of faith to provide identified services in a client friendly environment. The collaborative linkage between community systems enhanced the outcomes for not only individual Alzheimer’s clients, but their caregiving families. Clients and their caregivers reported significantly (p=.05) less stress in their daily living situation, fewer depression symptoms, fewer physician visits and decreased isolation over a 3 and 6 month period. Now, more than ever before, working in collaborative partnerships at levels not thought possible may exist beyond what the human eye perceives. 

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See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)