Join the MEMORI Corps and Help Families Facing Dementia

AARP Maryland is excited to tell you about an important opportunity to join a research study. We’ve teamed up with Johns Hopkins University to offer people the chance to take part in a research study called the MEMORI Corps.

MEMORI Corps stands for Making Engagement Meaningful through Organized Routine Interaction. The program uses a Companion Guide (i.e. trained volunteer 55 years or older) to provide regular emotional companionship and activities to a person living at home with dementia and to support their family caregiver.

JHU is testing if the program improves the lives and outcomes for people living with dementia and their family caregivers, and if it improves the health and well-being of the senior companions themselves. This program is delivered in a flexible way—including virtually—to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

You can get involved and join the study in two ways.

1) Healthy volunteers 55 years and older can join as companion guides.

JHU is seeking eligible healthy volunteers 55 years of age or older living in Maryland (i.e., Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester) to join the study and provide companion-guided services to persons living with dementia at home.

As a companion guide for MEMORI Corps program, qualified volunteers will receive:

• FREE virtual assessments of health and wellbeing
• Up to $2,400 over a 12-month period for serving as a companion guide ($200 per month)
• Training, support and education on activities, health and wellbeing, healthy brain aging
• Opportunities to meet new people in your community
• Gift cards up to $60, for completing 3 study assessment visits
  

2) People living at home with dementia with a family caregiver can join.

JHU is seeking eligible people with diagnosed dementia and their care partners who reside together at home in Maryland to join the study. Qualifying participants will receive:

• FREE virtual assessments of health and wellbeing
• FREE personalized activity plan
• Meet one-on-one with a companion to do activities together (virtual visits)
• Information and education on staying healthy, brain health, and self-care.
• Gift cards for up to $100, per participant, for completing up to 5 study assessment visits

These services are provided at NO COST.

Half of the qualified study participants will be involved in the intervention program right away, and the other half will be offered the intervention program after a waiting period. Approximately 560 persons (people with dementia, caregivers and volunteers) are expected to participate.

To learn more and find out if you are eligible, call 410-550-6744 or email memoricorps@jhmi.edu.

We are a proud partner of this initiative and hope you will consider this opportunity!

NOTE: This is not an AARP-sponsored program. Any information you provide will be guided by JHU's privacy and data policies.