Enhancing Dementia Care Program is sponsored by Michigan Health Endowment Fund. Supports a higher quality of life for those living with dementia through training programs.

Healthy Aging - Michigan Health Endowment Fund Grant Range Up to $750,000 Concept Papers Due March 30, 2026 Applications Due June 4, 2026 Grants Announced November 5, 2026 View the Healthy Aging RFP Download the Application Worksheet Watch our RFP Webinar Recording *Please note: applicants need an account in our Fluxx grants portal to submit a concept paper.

New users must request an account by Monday, March 23 t o guarantee access by the March 30 deadline. Below you’ll find a list of grants from our most recent cohort. Details about all of our past grants are available in our searchable Grant Database .

2025 Midwest Regional Funders Forum Geography: Statewide Through a sponsorship of the 2025 Grantmakers in Aging Midwest Regional Funders Forum, the Health Fund has the opportunity to help plan the event and highlight Healthy Aging partners throughout Michigan.

The forum will bring together funders of all types and sizes from across the Midwest to explore critical demographic trends, opportunities for aligning funding to create age-integrated communities, and how investments at the intersection of aging and other key priorities can foster connection and innovation throughout the region.

A Group-Based Program for Preventing Financial Exploitation Geography: Statewide This project will adapt and scale a proven one-on-one financial exploitation prevention model into a group-based program for older adults across Michigan. The project will engage 150 participants along with community partners and create a train-the-trainer manual for statewide replication.

Advancing Retention and Workforce Stability in Home Care Michigan HomeCare and Hospice Association Geography: Statewide This project aims to help home care agencies in Michigan retain their workers longer and improve care for older adults.

As a planning and pilot project, it will develop a statewide Workforce Support Hub to connect caregivers with essential wraparound services, including childcare, mental health support, and transportation. Direct care workers will play a key role in shaping the design and implementation of support services.

Bay County Guardianship Diversion Project Bay County Department on Aging Geography: Bay This project seeks to reduce unnecessary guardianships by offering legal alternatives and community support for older adults and adults with disabilities in Bay County. The project builds on a successful pilot and will expand training and collaboration with courts.

Building a Community Health Hub: Improving Access to Care and Wellness for Rural Older Adults Michigan Center for Rural Health Geography: Statewide This project will create a telehealth and wellness hub at a senior center in Houghton Lake, offering telehealth access, digital literacy, dementia support and chronic disease management.

It will serve adults aged 60 years or older and formal or informal caregivers with a focus on Roscommon County and surrounding rural communities. It will also offer training and education for providers in dementia diagnosis, care planning, and support strategies.

Building Capacity, Creating Safety: Michigan’s EMED Toolkit Initiative Education Development Center, Inc. Geography: Statewide This project will implement a national, evidence-informed program in three emergency departments to help identify and respond to elder mistreatment. The project will customize the intervention for Michigan and assess readiness for further implementation at future sites.

Building Regional Capacity for Recuperative Care in the U. P. Geography: Alger, Baraga, Chippewa, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon, Schoolcraft The project aims to establish a regional model for recuperative care/medical respite in Marquette County, led by Room at the Inn.

Simultaneously, the organization will look to establish a learning collaborative that will develop best practices among its ecosystem of regional shelters and enhance coordination. The collaborative would also develop a path for replication of sustainable medical respite models if the need is identified.

Closing the Loop: Implementing Social Care Referrals in Primary Care Region IV Area Agency on Aging Geography: Berrien, Cass, Van Buren Region IV Area Agency on aging will launch a program to integrate social care referrals into primary care settings through the use of interoperable electronic medical records and social care platforms. The project will pilot sustainable billing models and improve care coordination for older adults.

Collaborative Workforce Training: SNF Residents’ Oral Care Michigan State University Geography: Eaton To improve oral health for older adults in skilled nursing facilities, Lansing Community College Dental Hygiene students will provide direct dental care and train facility staff in basic oral care techniques at Dimondale Nursing Care Center, with oversight from Michigan State University’s chief medical director.

This initiative aims to increase staff knowledge and skills, reduce incidence of oral health related complications, and create a scalable model for oral care in nursing facilities. Geography: Kent This respite initiative aims to address the growing crisis of caregiver burnout in West Michigan by expanding volunteer-led respite services for older adults and their caregivers in Kent County.

The program will serve 850 older adults and 900 caregivers through coordinated support.

Creating Infrastructure for Statewide Contracting Initiative Area Agencies on Aging Association of Michigan Geography: Statewide This proposal will accelerate the development of the infrastructure needed to support statewide contracting for the Area Agencies on Aging, which will lead to more and higher quality services for older adults living in Michigan communities for years to come.

Cultivating Comfort: Enhancing Palliative Care in Rural MI. Michigan Center for Rural Health Geography: Statewide To increase access to high-quality palliative care services in rural Michigan, the Michigan Center for Rural Health will partner with Stratis Health to establish new community-based palliative care programs in five underserved communities.

This initiative will build on a previous investment and provide sustainable, interdisciplinary care that improves quality of life for patients facing life-threatening illnesses.

Dementia Minds: Building Capacity and Sustaining Success National Council of Dementia Minds Geography: Statewide To support the viability and ongoing efforts to increase services and supports of those newly diagnosed with dementia, this project will address the growing demand for participation in Dementia Minds groups through succession planning, capacity building, and fund development of the organization.

Development of PACE Northeast Michigan Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency Geography: Alpena, Iosco, Montmorency, Presque Isle, Alcona This grant will support the launch of a new PACE program serving five rural counties in Northeast Michigan. Funding will support startup operations including outreach, staffing, and transportation coordination for PACE Northeast Michigan.

Family Network of Wyoming Geography: Allegan, Kent, Ottawa To increase access to durable medical equipment for older adults in high-need areas, Family Network of Wyoming will refurbish and deliver durable medical equipment at no cost to uninsured individuals or those who have exhausted their benefits. The initiative will help older adults live safely in their homes and avoid institutional care.

Elder Justice Advocacy, Prevention, and Supportive Services WellWise Services Area Agency on Aging Geography: Statewide To address elder neglect and abuse, the Safe Haven partnership will expand services and provide safe housing for an additional 100 older adults across Michigan.

The initiative, supported by five Area Agencies on Aging and a learning collaborative, aims to elevate elder justice issues, explore best practices, and advocate for systemic improvements that better support abuse victims statewide.

Enhancing Dementia Care Program Health Care Association of Michigan Geography: Statewide To support a higher quality of life for those living with dementia by bringing together 44 assisted living partners to participate in a dementia training program which includes persons living with dementia as partners, and an intensive train-the-trainer model to develop and sustain a dementia capable culture, equipping those trained with the tools and skills to mentor others.

Expansions of Dementia Friendly Movie Program Evangelical Homes of Michigan Foundation Geography: Statewide To expand access to dementia-friendly social opportunities, Dementia Friendly Saline will partner with Emagine Theaters to offer a dementia-friendly movie program at 10 additional sites across Michigan.

The initiative will provide a safe and inclusive space for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers to take a break together from the care experience at the movies, with trained staff and transportation support ensuring accessibility for all participants.

Giving VOICE to Persons Living with Dementia Geography: Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Ottawa To enhance the quality of life for people living with dementia and their caregivers, Holland Home will expand its VOICE program beyond its residents into the broader community.

The initiative will provide support groups, dementia care training, and one-on-one consultations for up to 1,500 informal caregivers and 500 formal caregivers, aiming to reduce caregiver burnout and improve health outcomes.

Health First Home-Based Primary Care Detroit Area Agency on Aging Geography: Wayne To address the immediate and urgent need of providing greater access to care for hundreds of homebound older adults in Detroit, DAAA will bring the “hospital into the home” providing coordinated and preventative care across health settings to improve or stabilize the health status of these patients.

These individuals and their caregivers will also be connected to other social supports and programs.

Healthy Aging Care Coordination Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center Geography: Alger, Baraga, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Marquette, Ontonagon, Menominee To improve access to preventative healthcare for older adults in rural communities across the Upper Peninsula, the Upper Great Lakes Family Health Center will expand care coordination services through cancer screenings, wellness visits, and pharmacist consultations at local senior centers.

This initiative aims to connect older adults, both UGL patients and those without primary care, to critical screenings, advanced care planning, and medication management, with a focus on early detection and improved health outcomes.

If It’s Mentionable, It’s Manageable The Regents of the University of Michigan Geography: Wayne To address the stigma associated with having dementia in the Arab/Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) American community through working with community partners to develop culturally appropriate programming, as well as efforts to increase awareness of dementia services and reduce stigma related to the disease.

Through continuing education modules, dementia awareness events, a CHW ambassador program, and a messaging campaign, all efforts—in English and Arabic—will facilitate resource seeking and sharing by community members and health professionals.

Improving Access to Parkinson’s Care through Community Outreach and Personalized Assessments Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson's Geography: Macomb, Oakland, Wayne This project will expand access to tailored exercise programs for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease. The Kirk Gibson Center will partner with InMotion to offer personalized assessments to match participants with exercise programs that meet their individual needs.

Increasing Dementia Education for Early Action (IDEA) The Regents of the University of Michigan Geography: Genesee This project will develop and pilot a culturally tailored dementia education curriculum for Black older adults in Flint, aiming to reduce stigma and promote early intervention. The project will engage 100 participants and share a replication toolkit to support broader community use.

Medically Tailored Meals Extension Corewell Health Foundation Southeast Michigan Geography: Macomb, Oakland This project is an extension to the Medically Tailored Meals (MTM) pilot project with the goal to generate additional findings based on lessons learned from the pilot and provide a sustainability path to the program.

The aim of this sub-project is to assess the ability to provide patients with uncontrolled diabetes and food insecurity with education regarding the role of MTM in improving diabetes control and with free long term MTM using their health plan or community resources.

ShareCare of Leelanau, Inc. Geography: Benzie, Grand Traverse, Leelanau To provide individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and their caregivers in Leelanau County with social connection and support, ShareCare of Leelanau will establish the region’s first memory cafe.

The cafe will offer wellness programming, respite, and community linkages, addressing gaps in dementia care while promoting improved quality of life and caregiver well-being.

Michigan Advancing Guardianship Innovations Center (MAGIC) Michigan Advocacy Program Geography: Statewide The project will look to develop a training hub with the aim of implementing rights-preserving reforms that meet the diverse needs of probate courts by increasing the training for Guardians ad litem (GALs), who serve as court investigators in guardianship cases.

It will also include cross-training for medical and legal professionals and introducing functional assessments to tailor guardianship decisions better. Palliative Care Expansion in Van Buren and Cass Counties Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan d. b.

a Centrica Care Navigators Geography: Cass, Van Buren To increase access to palliative care for older adults in rural counties, Hospice of Southwest Michigan will expand its services to provide in-home care for patients with chronic or life-limiting illnesses in Cass and Van Buren counties.

The initiative will also enhance collaboration between local health and social service providers to improve care coordination and support for an estimated 200 new patients and their caregivers.

Planning & Partnership Development Geography: Statewide To improve health care access for older adults in Michigan prisons with severe illnesses, this initiative will train incarcerated individuals as peer caregivers, providing culturally sensitive, trauma-informed palliative care.

The program aims to reduce the burden on correctional health care staff, enhance the quality of life for both caregivers and care recipients, and establish a sustainable model for compassionate care in two pilot prisons.

Planning Respite Options for Older Adult Kinship Caregivers Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency Geography: Livingston, Macomb, Oakland This planning project will explore and pilot respite care models for older adults raising grandchildren or other kin. The project will conduct focus groups and convene regional partners to develop sustainable respite solutions for kinship caregivers.

Primary Care at Home – Palliative Care Area Agency on Aging of Western Michigan Geography: Allegan, Kent, Muskegon, Newaygo, Ottawa This program builds off the Primary Care at Home program and integrates access to palliative care services. Advanced practice providers will be embedded in home-based primary care teams to deliver palliative care to older adults.

The program will serve 200 patients annually and partner with Harbor Hospice to ensure older adults have access to palliative care services.

Raising Hope Senior Program Detroit Catholic Pastoral Alliance Geography: Wayne To reduce food insecurity, improve access to transportation, and promote social engagement among low-income seniors from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds, the Raising Hope Senior Program will deliver monthly food boxes, transportation services, and wellness education.

The initiative will serve over 150 seniors in Detroit, expand outreach to more residents, and strengthen partnerships with community organizations to enhance service delivery and support long-term sustainability.

Tufts Medical Center, Inc. Geography: Hillsdale, Ingham, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw, Wayne To address a lack of effective and accessible employee benefits to help employee caregivers meet the dual demands of work and their caregiving responsibilities, this project will involve the co-design of a new navigation program to provide immediate assistance to an employee caregiver to assess their needs and help facilitate the use of existing employer benefits, connection to relevant and preferred community services, and problem-solving, particularly within the health care system.

The navigation program will address the needs and prevent or reduce the well-documented psychological distress that often occurs when individuals balance the roles of employee and caregiver.

Habitat for Humanity Detroit Geography: Oakland, Wayne To reduce the risk of falls among low-income older adults, the Return Home Safe program will connect individuals recently discharged from the hospital with home safety modifications, such as grab bars and improved lighting.

The initiative, led by Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County and Henry Ford Health’s Mobile Integrated Health Paramedics, aims to serve 100-150 older adults per county, improving home safety and health outcomes.

Rural Palliative Care Education: Implementing Recommendations Michigan Center for Rural Health Geography: Statewide This project would develop a statewide rural palliative care Project ECHO program, which would offer virtual care-based learning and mentoring sessions aimed at increasing knowledge, skills and confidence with providers engaging in palliative care.

In addition, it would support a two-year membership with the Center to Advance Palliative Care for the Michigan Center for Rural Health, allowing staff access to a robust library of resources, training and toolkits that will be essential for the organization to support its partners working in rural communities.

Shared Housing Program for Older Adults in Washtenaw County Washtenaw Housing Alliance Geography: Washtenaw To support older homeowners in Washtenaw County and address affordable housing needs, the Washtenaw Housing Alliance will launch a Shared Housing Program that matches vetted renters with older adults, enabling them to age in place longer.

This initiative aims to remove barriers to aging in place, improve financial stability, and foster social connections, while providing affordable housing options to the community.

Statewide Contracting Initiative Phase Two: Data Integration and Operations Alignment Area Agencies on Aging Association of Michigan Geography: Statewide This project builds on a 2024 Healthy Aging grant to develop the Michigan Community Care Collaborative to establish and manage contractual agreements with health-based organizations and insurance companies.

This grant will implement and deploy a comprehensive system to streamline processes such as provider contracting, credentialing, and data sharing, ensuring efficiency and sustainability. Supporting LGBTQ+ Inclusive PACE Programs (SLIPP) Gay Elders of Metro Detroit d. b.

a MiGen Geography: Macomb, Oakland, Wayne To identify and address barriers to LGBTQ+ older adult participation in PACE (Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) programs, MiGen will partner with PACE of Southeast Michigan to conduct focus groups and develop an implementation plan for an inclusive pilot.

PACE provides coordinated medical care and long-term support for older adults who need a nursing facility level of care, and this initiative aims to improve access and inclusivity for LGBTQ+ older adults.

Supporting Older Adult Caregivers of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) in Michigan Center for Health Care Strategies Geography: Statewide The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS), with key Michigan partners, will conduct a comprehensive statewide landscape analysis that will contribute to improving support systems for older adult caregivers of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) across Michigan.

The initiative will explore how Michigan can better integrate aging and disability services, improve navigation supports, and proactively plan for transitions in caregiving. Surgical Transitions for Aging Residents (STAR) Program Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M. D.

School of Medicine Geography: Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Van Buren This initiative is an older adult-focused pre- and post- surgical program to help improve outcomes and provide a care transition plan so hundreds of people can receive the follow-up care they need at home.

The program will reduce complications and hospital readmissions and connect older adults and caregivers to other programs and services in the community to help aid in recovery.

Trauma-Informed Care Intergenerational Pilot Program Methodist Childrens Home Society dba MCHS Family of Services Geography: Wayne To increase intergenerational support and reduce social isolation, Methodist Children’s Home Society will develop and pilot a trauma-informed care program and curriculum that connects youth in residential facilities with older adults in Wayne County.

The initiative aims to create meaningful relationships, promote knowledge exchange, and, if successful, expand this model to other residential facilities across Michigan.

Tri-County Collaborative Medical Respite/Recuperative Shelter Planning Process Michigan State University Geography: Ingham Michigan State University, in collaboration with regional partners, will engage in a planning process to establish a medical respite/recuperative shelter program for unhoused older adults in the Tri-County area.

The key outcome would be a clear plan that provides quality recovery and connection to wraparound services, including housing, healthcare, and social support, with a path for long-term sustainability of the model. Detroit Area Agency on Aging Geography: Wayne This program provides mobile eye care services to hundreds of at-risk homebound older adults in Wayne County, addressing high rates of vision issues and underutilization of care..

This program will be integrated into a home-based primary care program, allowing for a more comprehensive healthcare experience from the comforts of home.

Wellbeing with Implant-Overdentures for Michigan Seniors The Regents of the University of Michigan Geography: Statewide To improve the oral health and well-being of older adults with ill-fitting dentures, the Michigan Community Dental Clinics (MCDC), in partnership with the University of Michigan, will offer implant overdentures, a treatment that uses small implants to secure dentures in place, making them fit better and function more like natural teeth.

The initiative will train dentists across all 33 MCDC locations, develop Continuing Education programs, and gather data to support policy changes that expand state insurance coverage for this procedure, ensuring long-term care and support in underserved communities while reducing costs by using existing dentures.

Widening and Diversifying the Direct Care Workforce Pipeline Geography: Allegan, Ottawa, Kent, Muskegon To address the shortage of direct care workers in Michigan, Resthaven will create a pathway for skilled but underemployed immigrants, focusing on training and certifying them as Certified Nursing Assistants.

This initiative will provide tailored support, including language training, mentorship, and job placement, improving care for older adults while promoting workforce diversity and health equity. View all Healthy Aging grants As we age, we all deserve access to opportunities to maintain our health, well-being, and independence, even as we run into challenges that can arise along the way.

That’s why the Health Fund invests in programs, partnerships, and models that equip organizations, health care providers, and policy makers to effectively meet the needs we face as we age. Our Healthy Aging grant program aims to better integrate Michigan’s strong network of aging programs into the broader health care landscape, increase the capacity of our partners, and generate new solutions to fill critical gaps where they exist.

We fund projects that improve access to care, help residents to age in place, support caregivers and families, address behavioral health, improve nutrition and food security, and build more age-friendly communities that function better for older adults and everyone else. Healthy Aging Models & Lessons Find research reports, case studies, and other resources on our Healthy Aging learning page.