The Joseph and Kathleen Bryan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (Bryan ADRC) proposes a community outreach education program entitled """"""""Dementia Outreach to Minorities: Linking Care Networks,"""""""" in response to RFA: AG-92-01. Lisa P. Gwyther, MSW, Education Director for the Bryan ADRC will be Principal Investigator for this project and Edna Ballard, MSW will be the Co-Principal Investigator.
The specific aims of the project are to target education, technical assistance and support programs to black, rural, and southern under-served areas in both North and South Carolina. We will link existing service and education networks to target three key professional and community groups that can best influence access to and quality of Alzheimer's diagnostic, treatment and support services for under-served regional minorities. The first year will focus on training for primary care physicians through community hospitals, health centers, and professional CME programs. The second year will target training and technical assistance to allied direct care health professionals, particularly nurses and social workers. The third year will focus on unique outreach strategies for clergy and community leaders using already identified leaders in two geographic target areas: 1) a five county area north and east of Durham, NC identified as having a substantial rural, black and under-served population and 2) rural counties around Charlotte, NC. Bryan ADRC clinical physician faculty will provide on-site regional and local training for physicians. The unique feature of this project is the creation of dementia-specific strategic linkages among strong existing service and training networks in other geriatric and mental health outreach programs. Three of these programs are: 1) School of Social Work Center for Aging Research and Educational Services (CARES) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; 2) Southern Piedmont Alzheimer's Association; and 3) John Umstead Hospital's Geropsychiatric Institute in Butner, N.C., directed by Bernard J. Carroll, H.D., Ph.D. Since extensive curriculum materials have been developed by the Bryan ADRC, the CARES, and NC Division of Aging, the focus of this project will be the broad dissemination efforts targeted to communities and direct care professionals in greatest need of dementia-specific training and support.
