Our Cognitive Support Initiative is our desire to offer a gospel-based response to the increasing need to care for our sisters who may be experiencing any form of dementia in any area of the world. We believe that appropriate care is wholistic, involving not just biomedical support, but spirituality, and personal accompaniment that witnesses to the healing, liberating and empowering love of Jesus. This initiative was initially formed in 2021 by the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) and Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation (the Hilton Foundation).

An advisory committee with some experts and practitioners in the field of elder care, especially those with experience of accompanying sisters living with some form of cognitive impairment, and sisters in leadership positions created the CISI. This initiative is now incorporated into The Anna Trust.

A level of cognitive impairment is experienced by some elderly people in society, the same is true of members of religious communities. We believe that it is a matter of justice that our sisters are empowered to live their religious lives in all its fulness despite any cognitive impairment that they may experience and that their community members are supported in helping them to do so. The care of the whole community is a priority of this initiative. We will support you in doing this by offering culturally sensitive training and education programmes that are responsive to the needs of the sisters that help them to live well in their own community for as long as possible. Supported participation in the liturgical life of the community will be encouraged.

We recognize that the training of our lay members in the charisms and culture of religious life is important so that they may have a deeper understanding of the needs of the sisters at this stage of their life journey. We will offer training in this area also.

Prevention, protection and education are core principles of all illness prevention.

We will offer regular updated dementia care training programmes to Congregation Leaders to ensure that they are well informed and supported in their pastoral caring role of their members. Early recognition of the signs of cognitive impairment are important so that the person can receive appropriate care at the earliest opportunity.

In response to the rising incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease in society and the associated changing care needs of Catholic religious sisters in communities across the world, the Initiative offers training to sisters and their care partners to improve the dignity and living circumstances of sisters with cognitive impairment conditions.

The Initiative believes that appropriate care is wholistic, involving not just biomedical support, but spirituality, and personal accompaniment in deep witness to the healing, liberating and empowering love of Jesus.

The vision is to create religious communities where sisters with dementia receive the care and support that they need to live their religious lives well with meaning and dignity, communities in which dementia is understood, accepted, and treated as an aspect of life for some members.

The Initiative provides ongoing formation, education, and resources for congregational leaders and all members of religious institutes, family members, staff members, and professional care partners so that they build dementia inclusive religious communities.

Online training and webinars which would be delivered by experienced facilitators. On completion of successful training attendees will be awarded a certificate from The Anna Trust Foundation.

An option to attend a Best Practice Train the Trainer course at various venues in Africa, Asia and Latin America may be possible later.

Small grants will be available to offer non-structural changes to care facilities where sisters live.

Such grants will help to provide wheelchairs, commodes or other basic supplies for the sisters.

A grant application will need to be completed and the use of grants will be audited.

To learn more about our cognitive impairment support initiative, or to contribute information to this information, please complete the below enquiry form.

You can also write an email to info@annatrustfoundation.org.