Page 52 - Healthy Brain Initiative, State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018-2023 Road Map

PUERTO RICO

Using Social Media to Promote Engagement

The Puerto Rico Department of Health worked with the Pre/post surveys in four sessions with a total of 212
Prevention Research Center’s South Carolina Healthy participants showed improved knowledge and high
Brain Research Network at the University of South satisfaction ratings. All participants said they learned
Carolina to implement the Puerto Rico Alzheimer’s something new from the program, and 80% said most
Action Plan, with a special focus on education and of the information presented was new to them. A total
empowerment of individuals and families. One of 250 messages were posted on the Un café por el
component was a collaborative educational initiative Alzheimer community Facebook page over a seven-
called Un café por el Alzheimer. With special month period. An average increase of nearly 65% in
56
attention toward decreasing stigma, this initiative used the number of people reached by the Facebook page
social media and in-person gatherings to support offered evidence of the program’s success in helping
informal but structured conversations with experts participants remain actively engaged while fostering
about Alzheimer’s disease, risk factors, diagnosis, social support and reducing stigmas and myths
pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments, surrounding the disease. 57 •
management of behavioral changes, and healthy
living. The Alzheimer’s cafés enabled participants to
have informal conversations in coffee shops across
the island. The social media efforts built off of these
in-person conversations to reinforce key messages as
a way of engaging and educating the wider audience.
Participants could raise questions at any time and
were encouraged to share testimonials and comments.
At the end of the gatherings, the participants were
invited to continue the conversation online by following
the Facebook page.

46 Healthy Brain Initiative State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018–2023 Road Map