Since 2004, the Erie County Caregiver Coalition has offered Powerful Tools for Caregivers, a psycho-educational program for caregivers of older adults designed to reduce caregiver stress by improving caregivers’ communication and decision-making skills and promoting self-care.

Supported by funding from the Health Foundation for Western and Central New York, the Erie County Caregiver Coalition, in collaboration with the University at Buffalo, worked to increase diversity among participants in Powerful Tools for Caregivers classes by recruiting and training class leaders and facilitating Powerful Tools classes in African American, Hispanic, and Native American communities between 2008 and 2012.

This qualitative evaluation describes the lessons learned from these efforts, including the needs and challenges faced by caregivers; the potential for the Powerful Tools for Caregivers program to address these needs; what dissemination strategies were used; and what additional dissemination strategies are recommended.  

The findings from the evaluation provide examples of dissemination challenges and strategies that may be applicable to other outreach efforts in the region.

To read the full report, click here.