An estimated 4 million Americans suffer from dementia of the Alzheimer's type. The prevalence of this disorder roughly doubles every five years after 60 years of age. Research efforts have characterized the clinical syndrome and the disorders that mimic this process so that an evaluation following standard criteria results in clinical diagnoses which will be 80- 85% accurate at autopsy. Research has also produced insights into the genetics, epidemiologic risk factors, neurochemistry and neuropathology. Treatment modalities using agents that would either halt progression or reverse deficits are in clinical trials. Research has also addressed the effect of the disease on caregivers, their risk for depression and the burden of providing care o Alzheimer's Disease (AD) victims. In spite of major advances in knowledge on the disease and its' effect on caregivers, the standard of community care for AD lags far behind current knowledge. In 1992, the project """"""""Reaching Rural Communities with Alzheimer's Education"""""""" began a process to bridge the ga between what is known about AD and what is done for the victims of this disorder and their families. In conjunction with the Nebraska Chapters of the Alzheimer's Association, a group of community professionals have been recruited and are being trained to provide education on AD and to assist in development of services for persons with AD in their communities. Continuing support is requested to : (1) increase the numbers and types of professionals involved in the educational process; (2) provide advanced training for persons who themselves will provide training to others after the end of grant support; (3) provide consultation and support for community leaders as they evaluate how best to serve the AD population; an (4) continue efforts in physician education on AD using information on preferred learning techniques gained during the first years of support. This project is designed to establish systems for education and support that will persist beyond the project period. This approach could also serve as a model for similar project conducted in thinly populated rural and frontier states.
