ULM鈥檚 Dementia Compassion Project receives grant from Living Well Foundation for fourth consecutive year

Published June 3, 2026

A women leads a group discussion with students sitting around a table.

CAPTION:听Dr. Amanda Stead,听certified听healthcare simulation expert, leads a debriefing session with students from VCOM after they have completed the simulation.听听

MONROE, La.听鈥撎�The Living Well Foundation has funded the University of Louisiana Monroe Dementia Compassion Project for a fourth consecutive year, with a听record听$25,000听grant. The Dementia Compassion Project was founded in the College of Health Sciences in 2023 by Dr. Paula Griswold, Dr. Ashanti Jones, Dr. Patti听Calk,听and Dr. Jennifer Whited in collaboration with the听Kitty DeGree听School of Nursing. This project, with the support of a host of ULM faculty volunteers, trains current and future healthcare providers and community members in best practices for supporting individuals with dementia and their families through a simulation-based experience.听听

The experience allows the trainee to experience the effects of dementia for听a short period听of time, with the expected outcome of increased empathy and awareness of how to adjust communication and the environment to support those with dementia.听

Over the last three years, the project has conducted training sessions with more than 250 area healthcare providers at St. Francis, Ochsner LSU Health, Glenwood, and Gardens of Somerset. The project has also provided training to more than 365 students at both ULM and the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine.听听

Dr. Ray Morrison, Dean of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine,听spoke about the impact of听the project:听"Care and empathy are not always teachable in any curriculum, but the Dementia Compassion Project helps to raise awareness in students to promote the value of altruism and professionalism in their future careers. We appreciate the value of the Living Well Foundation as they provide support to this community. "听

Research conducted with the project听indicates听that more than 90% of participants听indicate听a听significant change听in the way they perceive dementia and cite specific ways they will communicate with and support those with dementia in the future.听听

Alice Prophit, the CEO of the Living Well听Foundation,听stated, 鈥�At the Living Well Foundation, we are focused and interested in the work听regarding听dementia and Alzheimer鈥檚 by the ULM School of Allied Health.听We are partnering to ensure that more care, more support, and more education are all made available to local providers, to families and support personnel, and to our hospitals and caregivers so that we can be positioned to better care for this debilitating health crisis.听 Working with our area hospitals, VCOM, and the senior support environment, we hope to make an impact on how we approach and respond to these life challenges.听听We look forward to how we address this as a community and healthcare focus.鈥�听

The funding provided by the Living Well Foundation for the coming year will allow The Dementia Compassion Project to reach first responders,听additional听future healthcare providers at ULM and VCOM, and medical residents at area hospitals.听听听

听鈥淥ur ultimate goal is to make sure every healthcare provider in North Louisiana has the tools to interact effectively with individuals with dementia and to provide services that promote quality of life for the individual and their families,鈥澨齭aid听Dr. Jennifer Whited, the director of the Dementia Compassion Project.听

The Dementia Compassion Project is part of a growing response at ULM and in the Northeast Louisiana Delta to support the dementia health crisis in听the听region.听