Page 51 - Healthy Brain Initiative, State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018-2023 Road Map

WASHINGTON

Educating African Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders about Dementia

As a partner in Washington State’s Dementia Action conduct outreach and education for Seattle AAPIs.
Collaborative, a voluntary statewide workgroup Through six focus groups, they solicited input from
charged with implementing the state’s Alzheimer’s local Chinese and Japanese adults with at least
plan, the Washington Department of Health (DOH) one living relative age 65 or over. The focus groups
began a two-part initiative to increase awareness of assessed the acceptability of messages developed
brain health among African Americans and encourage by the University of Pennsylvania HBRN Center to
cognitive assessments among Asian Americans encourage non-Hispanic white or African American
and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). These efforts support urban adults concerned about the cognitive health
implementation of the Washington State Plan to of an older relative to accompany that relative to
Address Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias an appointment with a healthcare provider. NAPCA
regarding culturally-appropriate strategies to educate and UW-HBRN released two briefs on their findings:
the public about reducing risk for cognitive decline and Connecting with AAPIs about Dementia: An Action
possibly dementia. Guide for Service Providers and Connecting
with AAPIs about Dementia: An Action Guide for
DOH prioritized African American women as a main Policymakers. Each offers dementia resources and
audience for cognitive health education based information on treatment options. The importance
on national prevalence data. DOH then reviewed of early detection of cognitive impairment is
evidence-based, brain health messages developed emphasized in the guide for service providers, as
by the Alzheimer’s Association for the Healthy Brain these professionals play a crucial role in facilitating
Initiative. After securing approval from Washington’s older AAPIs’ and their caregivers’ access to cognitive
state health officer, DOH partnered with the Seattle- assessment resources.
based, nonprofit Center for MultiCultural Health The Dementia Action
(CMCH) to help tailor and disseminate brain health Collaborative provided
messages to African American audiences. CMCH guidance on the action
identified African American churches as a promising briefs and also helped to
venue to reach women and recommended creating disseminate them. UW-
hand fans printed with culturally-tailored messages HBRN received a 2017
(see image). Seattle Innovation Fund

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Additionally, the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging grant for its work on the Case Studies
(NAPCA) and the University of Washington Healthy AAPI action briefs.
Brain Research Network (UW-HBRN) partnered to V.

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