Family caregivers founded the Alzheimer’s Society of New York and New Jersey in the late 1970s. At a time when Alzheimer’s was still only a footnote in medical textbooks, there was no source of support, information, or education about the disease. Families of people living with this illness had to rely on one another for help. Those are the roots of CaringKind.

CaringKind has provided free support, assistance, and education for the past thirty years to dementia patients and their caregivers living in the five boroughs of New York City. CaringKind also offers training for professionals who care for people living with dementia. In this interview with ACCESS Health researcher Jean Galiana, Jed A. Levine, the executive vice president and director of programs and services of CaringKind, describes its support, education, and outreach programs. He also discusses their research into palliative care for people with dementia.

CaringKind has a mailing list of fifty thousand people for its newsletter. They offer over ninety support groups with eight to ten participants per group. Approximately fifteen thousand people come to CaringKind each year, a number that is increasing. CaringKind provides guidance for families struggling to find their way in the world of dementia and its related issues.