The Chris & Suzy DeWolf Family Innovation Center for Aging & Dementia

08/25/2026

Have you noticed that Family Caregivers Center staff and volunteers are often seen wearing an orange nasturtium flower?

🧡 That's because the orange nasturtium represents victory in struggle. The color orange also signifies joy and creativity, promoting a sense of wellness and emotional energy that is shared through compassion, passion and warmth.

08/21/2026

Did you know the DeWolf Innovation Center is the only known Innovation Center in the U.S. that is connected to a senior living community?

It connects with HallMar Village, a 237-residence senior living community, and provides a unique advantage for residents! Whether they seek volunteer opportunities or attend appointments at the Mercy Center for Memory Health, they have direct access to resources that focus on helping them live fulfilling lives.

Learn more about what the center has to offer:

The Chris & Suzy DeWolf Family Innovation Center for Aging & Dementia in Cedar Rapids, IA, is a place of continuing discovery and implementation of best practices.

08/20/2026

Being a caregiver is a meaningful role, but it often comes with stress, guilt and uncertainty. To help build resilience and reduce stress, we created two free resources for caregivers:

1️⃣ Caregiver Resilience: Strategies for Strength, Flexibility & Balance: A guide to help caregivers manage stress, shift perspective and build resilience.
2️⃣ Caregiver Resilience Toolbox: A quick-reference sheet with practical coping tools.

These resources are designed to support you through difficult moments and remind you that caring for yourself matters, too.

👉 Access both resources here: https://www.dewolfinnovationcenter.org/home/services/trusted-caregiver-articles/caregiver-resilience-strategies-for-strength-flexibility--balanc/

08/18/2026

Through the Family Caregivers Center, we host safe, compassionate support groups for caregivers to connect and share. 🧡

Our recurring support groups include:
• Men’s Caregiver Coffee
• Women’s Caregiver Coffee
• Wednesday Afternoon Caregiver Coffee
• Conversations for Couples
• Life After Caregiving Support Group

Contact our staff by phone, email, or in person to learn more about support groups or to get more information on attending!

08/14/2026

Are you currently exploring options to help yourself or someone you love to age in place? Visit the Age- &Dementia-Friendly Smart Show Room at the DeWolf Innovation Center!

Check out helpful solutions like:

🏡 Smart appliances, like refrigerators, cooktops, ovens and dishwashers.
🪑 Furniture that prioritizes safety and accessibility for older adults.
🖐️ Easy-grip handles and k***s that improve functionality.
🧽 High-tech cleaning appliances, like robotic vacuums and mops.
🤖 ElliQ, a companion robot designed to empower healthy, independent living.

Helpful product kiosks are also located throughout the center, displaying information, products and assistive technology. These products are intended to make it easier to live a better life at home.

For more information, visit https://www.dewolfinnovationcenter.org/home/services/showroom/.

The Chris & Suzy DeWolf Family Innovation Center for Aging & Dementia in Cedar Rapids, IA, features an Age- & Dementia-Friendly Smart Show Room to assist older adults.

08/12/2026

Caregiving comes with emotions that can be hard to talk about.

Many caregivers quietly carry complex, conflicting feelings as they grieve what has changed while the person they love is still here. This painful paradox is known as ambiguous loss.

“Understanding Ambiguous Loss & Changing Roles in Caregiving” was created to help you better understand these emotions, learn to cope, and hold compassion for yourself and the person you are caring for.

👉 Read here: https://www.dewolfinnovationcenter.org/home/services/trusted-caregiver-articles/understanding-ambiguous-loss--changing-roles-in-caregiving/

08/10/2026

Community Connections is a multifaceted, volunteer-supported program that offers engaging activities and opportunities for socialization for adults living with earlier-stage dementia, while also providing respite for caregivers.

This includes the initial Connection Club, which began in partnership with St. Paul's Methodist Church in 2019. Now, there are also clubs that meet at the DeWolf Innovation Center three days a week. These groups enjoy music, exercise, crafts, speakers and a home-cooked meal.

Watch the video to learn more and hear from Connections Club volunteers and participants!

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

08/03/2026

The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art has Free Dementia-Friendly Tours on the last Friday of every month. Please pass the word so as many people can take advantage of this program.

Our next tour is this week on Friday, July 31 from 2pm-3pm.
Partnering with the Chris & Suzy DeWolf Family Innovation Center for Aging & Dementia, the docents are adapting their typical guided tours to tailor the experience to those living with dementia and their caregivers.

How these tours are different than standard guided tours:
• The pace is a bit slower.
• The language is clearer and simpler.
• Participants are encouraged to share their personal experiences and connections to the artwork.
• Group sizes are smaller.
• Docents are trained and certified Friends of Dementia.

If you have a larger group, please contact us to find out how we can accommodate you.

07/31/2026

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter, Centered News, for updates from the Family Caregivers Center and the DeWolf Innovation Center!

Each edition includes that month's event calendar, upcoming educational opportunities and resources for family caregivers.

Browse past editions or subscribe to future ones at: https://www.dewolfinnovationcenter.org/home/about-us/newsletter/

07/22/2026

When you choose to donate to the Chris & Suzy DeWolf Family Innovation Center for Aging &Dementia, you leave a legacy that goes beyond generosity.

You’re helping change the trajectory of aging and dementia. Changing how we think about it, innovating how we approach it, and continuing to be relentless in how we understand it.

You're helping provide compassionate support, accessible education, and invaluable research, all of which will help pave the path to healthier tomorrows and more fulfilled futures for Iowans and beyond.

Your support helps create a future where we can grow old together — without fear.

Donate now: https://www.dewolfinnovationcenter.org/home/donate/