Published June 3, 2026

CAPTION: Dr. Amanda Stead, certified healthcare simulation expert, leads a debriefing session with students from VCOM after they have completed the simulation.  

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MONROE, La. – The Living Well Foundation has funded the University of Louisiana Monroe Dementia Compassion Project for a fourth consecutive year, with a record $25,000 grant. The Dementia Compassion Project was founded in the College of Health Sciences in 2023 by Dr. Paula Griswold, Dr. Ashanti Jones, Dr. Patti Calk, and Dr. Jennifer Whited in collaboration with the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing. This project, with the support of a host of ULM faculty volunteers, trains current and future healthcare providers and community members in best practices for supporting individuals with dementia and their families through a simulation-based experience.  

The experience allows the trainee to experience the effects of dementia for a short period of time, with the expected outcome of increased empathy and awareness of how to adjust communication and the environment to support those with dementia. 

Over the last three years, the project has conducted training sessions with more than 250 area healthcare providers at St. Francis, Ochsner LSU Health, Glenwood, and Gardens of Somerset. The project has also provided training to more than 365 students at both ULM and the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine.  

Dr. Ray Morrison, Dean of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, spoke about the impact of the project: "Care and empathy are not always teachable in any curriculum, but the Dementia Compassion Project helps to raise awareness in students to promote the value of altruism and professionalism in their future careers. We appreciate the value of the Living Well Foundation as they provide support to this community. " 

Research conducted with the project indicates that more than 90% of participants indicate a significant change in the way they perceive dementia and cite specific ways they will communicate with and support those with dementia in the future.  

Alice Prophit, the CEO of the Living Well Foundation, stated, “At the Living Well Foundation, we are focused and interested in the work regarding dementia and Alzheimer’s by the ULM School of Allied Health. We are partnering to ensure that more care, more support, and more education are all made available to local providers, to families and support personnel, and to our hospitals and caregivers so that we can be positioned to better care for this debilitating health crisis.  Working with our area hospitals, VCOM, and the senior support environment, we hope to make an impact on how we approach and respond to these life challenges.  We look forward to how we address this as a community and healthcare focus.” 

The funding provided by the Living Well Foundation for the coming year will allow The Dementia Compassion Project to reach first responders, additional future healthcare providers at ULM and VCOM, and medical residents at area hospitals.   

 “Our ultimate goal is to make sure every healthcare provider in North Louisiana has the tools to interact effectively with individuals with dementia and to provide services that promote quality of life for the individual and their families,” said Dr. Jennifer Whited, the director of the Dementia Compassion Project. 

The Dementia Compassion Project is part of a growing response at ULM and in the Northeast Louisiana Delta to support the dementia health crisis in the region.