Montana State University Extension will continue and expand its support programs for unpaid family caregivers across Montana thanks to grants totaling $397,000 from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Montana Lifespan Respite Coalition.
A continuation grant of $250,000 will further the Caregiver Respite Food Program, said program leader Dan Koltz, an assistant professor and gerontology specialist with MSU Extension. The Caregiver Respite Food Program launched in the spring of 2024. It provides food boxes containing five healthy, frozen prepared meals to unpaid family caregivers. The program aims to save caregivers time and reduce their daily burdens.
“This grant is going to go a long way in providing a respite from meal prep for unpaid family caregivers all across the state of Montana,” Koltz said. He said unpaid family caregivers are individuals such as a spouse, partner, family member, friend or neighbor who assist with activities of daily living and/or medical tasks for someone else without receiving payment.
From April to June of this year, more than 580 food boxes were distributed through the program, feeding 1,358 adults and 687 children, Koltz said. All unpaid family caregivers in Montana are eligible to enroll in the program.
In addition, the MSU Extension’s Caregiver Respite Retreat Program received a $147,000 grant to continue through 2026. The program was developed in 2021 and offers one-day retreats focused on sustainable self-care education for caregivers. The program has served more than 700 caregivers so far.
“We are thrilled that the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Montana Lifespan Respite Coalition applied for these funds and partnered with MSU Extension to provide support to caregivers,” Koltz said.
The next series of respite retreats will be held in communities across Montana in the spring of 2025. Detailed information will be available on the MSU Extension Healthy Aging webpage in January.
For more information or to participate in these programs, caregivers can call 406-613-8191 or email respite@montana.edu.
