1. February 28, 2016
Rotary Club of Cabarrus County
P.O. Box 786
Concord, NC 28026-0786
Dear Cabarrus Rotary Club,
Enclosed is a grant application from Coltrane LIFE Center requesting $935 to purchase a new
laptop computer and protective carrying case. A new laptop will enable the Center to access
resources that are offered through today’s advanced technology so that we can better serve older
adults, adults with disabilities, and their family members.
We sincerely appreciate your past support of Coltrane LIFE Center as well as your support of so
many worthy causes in our community.
We appreciate your consideration of this request. If you have questions or would like more
information, please contact us.
Sincerely,
Susan Caudle Foster Lynch
Executive Director Board Chair

2. 2016 Cabarrus Rotary Club Grant Application
Organization: Coltrane LIFE Center, Inc.
501(c)(3) status: attached
Primary contact: Susan Caudle
Address and telephone number: 321 Corban Ave. SE
Concord, NC 28025
(704) 788-1215
Description of organization:
Coltrane LIFE Center is the only facility in Cabarrus County that provides adult day
health care services to residents of Cabarrus and surrounding counties. Our mission is to improve
the quality of life for frail and impaired older adults and their families through specialized adult
daytime/weekday services.
The services provided by the Center enable seniors and adults with disabilities to live at
home and in the company of their family members rather than in a nursing home or assisted
living facility. The Center supports family caregivers by offering them time away from the
stressful and overwhelming responsibilities associated with the role of caregiver. Furthermore,
the Center allows family caregivers to maintain control over their own personal lives by
providing a safe and enriching environment for their loved ones to spend the day. Family
caregivers are able to continue working and taking personal time to maintain self-care, run
errands, and attend scheduled appointments with peace of mind, knowing their loved ones are
safe and well taken care of while they are away.
The Center provides health care services (including health monitoring and screening,
medication administration, bathing, and assistance with personal care), nutritious meals,
transportation to and from the Center, beauty/barber shop services, and safety and social
interaction with friends.
Therapeutic and structured activities include: music, exercise, crafts, spiritual enrichment,
intergenerational activities, discussion/reminiscence therapy, and socialization. In addition, field
trips--day trips to the mountains, to parks, to deliver Meals on Wheels, and to go shopping--link
participants with community activities and give them a feeling of usefulness through community
outreach. The Center supports family caregivers by offering counseling, referral services, and
monthly educational/support group meetings.
Coltrane LIFE Center operates Monday through Friday from 7:15 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Founded in 1974, the Center is certified annually by the NC Division of Aging and Adult
Services and is one of the oldest adult day care programs in the nation.
Current and previous year’s budget and most recent audit: attached
Purpose of grant:
The purpose of this grant is to purchase a new Dell laptop and protective carrying case
for participant and staff use. In order to enhance our service delivery, it is imperative that we

3. replace our current laptop that was purchased in 2004, uses an obsolete operating system and has
been non-functional for several years. Furthermore, we can guarantee the laptop will receive the
highest quality of technological support (i.e., setup, maintenance, required updates, etc.) through
a volunteer Cisco Certified Network Professional with twenty years of experience who designed
and maintains our computer network.
Most importantly, a new laptop will enable us to provide better services to the
participants and their caregivers. The majority of our participants have been diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s disease/dementia or some form of cognitive impairment. In order to meet the needs
of our participants and provide a better quality of life, we rely heavily on evidence-based
research. Such research allows our team to gain a deeper understanding of how cognitive
impairments affect behavior and perception.
Evidence-based research shows that music therapy is an effective method for managing
agitation, stress and anxiety among persons’ with Alzheimer’s disease/dementia. Furthermore,
music therapy increases memory recall, verbal communication, energy levels, self-esteem,
confidence, and overall health as well as promotes relaxation and calmness, and therefore
promotes a better quality of life. In addition to the benefits of music therapy, activities that
provide mental and physical stimulation are proven to, at the very least, maintain cognitive
function and improve the quality of life of persons’ with cognitive impairments.
A new laptop will enable the Center to provide participants with a wide range of
activities that offer mental and physical stimulation and thus improve their quality of life. We
will use the laptop to connect to our computer network and display music and educational
materials from the Internet onto our large screen television for group activities. Over the past few
months, a volunteer has been using her personal laptop to organize and execute participant
activities with huge success. Such activities include seated yoga, chair aerobics, and music
therapy interventions. The use of videos of cherished musicians to produce a visual link into the
individual’s past will enhance memory recall and mental and physical stimulation. In addition,
the use of YouTube videos to display historical events, local news broadcasts, community events
and a variety of appropriate categories geared towards the population we serve will link
participants to the past and present. Therefore, a new laptop will enable the Center to carry out
beneficial activities each business day that produce high quality services to our participants and
their caregivers.
In addition, a new laptop will enable the Center to enhance our community outreach
services. Research has shown that a primary reason family caregivers do not use adult day
health care services is because they simply do not know that this service is available. Many
people may recognize Coltrane LIFE Center’s name but may know very little about the specific
services that we offer. This lack of awareness often prevents older adults and their families from
utilizing the Center’s valuable services. A new laptop will enable us to prepare and produce
marketing and educational materials, and we will be able to take the laptop and marketing
materials into the community to share information with those in need. Therefore, enhanced
marketing and promotion of our services will connect older adults and their family caregivers
with the beneficial support services we offer and thereby improve their lives.
Also we can enhance staff training with a new laptop. We will be able to participate in
webinars/teleconferences and to obtain valuable information directly from the Alzheimer’s
Association and other accredited sources.
We will also utilize the laptop during family support group meetings to expand
caregiver’s knowledge of caregiving methods and available support services. Alzheimer’s

4. disease/dementia currently affects around 47.5 million people worldwide and is projected to
increase to 75.6 million by 2030 and triple by 2050. A new laptop will provide the Center, its
staff, and family caregivers with the necessary tools and resources in order to address the
increasing prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease/dementia in the future.
Population served:
Coltrane LIFE Center serves over 80 older adults and adults with disabilities each week.
Participants have physical, emotional, social, and/or memory impairments and need daytime
supervision, social interaction, health care services, enriching activities. They suffer from
Alzheimer’s disease/dementia, diabetes, stroke/aneurysm, heart disease, hearing impairment, and
other disabilities and age-related infirmities.
The Center also serves family caregivers by offering respite from the stresses of
caregiving. Caregivers benefit from counseling, referral services, and monthly support group
meetings offered by the Center.
This grant will serve center participants by providing them with meaningful and
enriching activities. It will also serve family caregivers and the Center’s staff members by
offering additional educational and supportive resources.
Amount of grant requested: $935.00
Previous grants received from Cabarrus Rotary:
• $625 in 2007 for upgrading our computer network
• $1,125 in 2013 for purchasing a new desktop computer
• $1,500 in 2014 for purchasing health care equipment and supplies
• $1,600 in 2015 for purchasing wheelchair scales
Current Board Officers and members: attached
__________________________ _________________________
Susan Caudle, Executive Director Foster Lynch, Board Chair