TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Dr. Louis Burgio, University Distinguished Research Professor at The University of Alabama, has received the 2007 Rosalynn Carter Caregiving Leadership Award, the highest award in the caregiving field given by the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving.
Burgio received the award at the Institute’s First National Summit, held Oct.25-26, at Georgia Southwestern State University. The summit was attended by former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter.
Burgio received the award jointly with Irene Collins, executive director of the Alabama Department of Senior Services, for their work with the Alabama REACH Intervention Project. The award included a check for $20,000 to be used in the REACH project.
REACH, which stands for Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health, investigates interventions to alleviate caregiver stress and burden that are equally effective for African-American, Caucasian and Hispanic caregivers. For the past 12 years, UA has been one of six national REACH intervention sites.
A recognized expert in the areas of gerontology and geropsychology, Burgio has received continued funding from the National Institute of Health since 1990. He has conducted research in the care of aging and geriatric patients and in the factors that affect quality of life in elderly patients in community and nursing home settings. In August, he also received a grant award from the Rosalynn Carter Institute to implement components of a program to train family caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients.
With funding from Johnson and Johnson, the Rosalynn Carter Institute Caregivers Program, known as RCI, provides more than $250,000 each year in grants to build partnerships between research and community-based organizations that have developed an evidence-based caregiver intervention. The program also gives out several awards each year that include the RCI Caregiving Award.
The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving was established in 1987 on the campus of Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Ga., in honor of former first lady and GSW alumna Rosalynn Carter to enhance her long-celebrated commitments to human development and mental health. The Institute works to establish partnerships to create more effective long-term care systems and provide greater recognition and support for America’s caregivers.
Contact
Carmen Brown, College of Arts and Sciences, Office of the Dean, 205/348-8539