DSAMT provides respite or self-care scholarships to the caregiver(s) of individuals with Down syndrome. Grant requests must provide some form of reprieve from day-to-day caregiving tasks or assist with self-care.
Nominations can be made for DSAMT's Respite Grant, which provides respite or self-care scholarships to the caregiver(s) of individuals with Down syndrome. Grant requests must provide some form of reprieve from day-to-day caregiving tasks or assist with self-care. The Respite Grant was developed because the majority of care provided to people with Down syndrome is by unpaid family members and DSAMT's belief that more help with day-to-day caregiving activities, financial support, emotional support, and self-care would help ease the overwhelming stress and fatigue of caregiving.
In order to qualify you must be nominated via completion of the form on this page. Self-nominations are accepted. The caregiver who is nominated, must be living with the individual with Down syndrome and be caring for that person on a full-time basis. The need must be explained in the application. The amount available will depend on DSAMT’s available funds, the severity of need, and based on the unique needs and request of the caregiver.
Caregiver nominations must meet the following basic criteria to apply:
1) Nominee must care for an individual with Down syndrome on a full-time basis and live in the same home as the individual with DS
2) Caregiver and individual with Down syndrome must reside in the DSAMT TN service area of Bedford, Cannon, Cheatham, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, Davidson, Dekalb, Dickson, Fentress, Franklin, Giles, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Macon, Marshall, Maury, Montgomery, Moore, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Trousdale, Van Buren, Warren, Wayne, White, Williamson, and Wilson counties.
3) Caregivers who receive the Respite Grant will not qualify for additional respite grant funds.
Application Process:
1) The Respite Grant nomination must be completed in its entirety.
2) Nomination must include specific needs, amount needed for each item, and how it will benefit the caregiver with day-to-day caregiving activities, emotional support, or self-care. The grant can be used to pay for direct care, but this is not a requirement.
3) The need for a break must be explained in the application.
4) Payments will only be made to the provider or reimbursed based on receipts provided.
5) Documentation may be necessary for payment to be made. Receipts and/or payment information will need to be emailed to Tanya Chavez at Tanya@somethingextra.org.
Awarding funds:
The program is based on application submission followed by voting of the DSAMT Board of Directors. The amount available will depend on DSAMT’s available funds, the severity of need, and based on the request of the caregiver. You will be notified of approval and the next steps.
Limited funding is available for the Respite Grants