Alzheimer's Association, Massachusetts/New Hampshire Chapter

Our education programs have three target audiences: 1) the general public; 2) individuals and family affected by Alzheimer's disease, and 3) healthcare professionals who serve people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. For the general public, we have programs on the 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's and basic knowledge about the differences between normal memory changes and Alzheimer's disease. Educational programs for families further prepare caregivers to help their loved one cope with physical, emotional and psychological challenges of Alzheimer's. These programs cover getting a diagnosis, legal and financial issues, skills training for caregivers, and advance planning for people with early stage Alzheimer's disease. Education for professionals such as the annual ""Map Through the Maze"" conference and our ""Habilitation Train the Trainer"" program help health care providers learn more about the disease and implement a person-centered, cross-cultural approach to Alzheimer's care. Better educated and informed health care providers are current in their knowledge of dementia symptoms, screening tools and treatments. They are also better equipped to make appropriate referrals.

The goal of the Power + Purpose program (also known as the Early Stage Empowerment Program) is to improve the quality of life for people with mild Alzheimer's by providing opportunities for social interaction, engagement through volunteerism and advocacy. This initiative will allow our organization to reach an unprecedented number of people with Alzheimer's while they are in the early stages of the disease. It will also promote positive messages about living with Alzheimer's and improve the public conversation about Alzheimer's disease so that it is no longer missing the voices of people living with the disease.The four primary elements of Power + Purpose are: (1) A public awareness campaign created for, and in part by, people with mild Alzheimer's; (2) Intensive recruitment of participants; (3) A year-round calendar of social/cultural activities and a supportive environment for volunteering in the community. (4) Creation of a new community of trained advocates with mild Alzheimer's.

The mission of the public policy and advocacy program of the Alzheimer's Association is to influence public policy by collaborating with federal, state and local agencies to raise the issue of Alzheimer's disease to a higher priority. In Massachusetts, the Alzheimer's Association is currently working to secure quality care for everyone with Alzheimer's and related dementia in every care setting, to preserve access to Adult Day programs in Massachusetts and to continue to ensure that Alzheimer's is a priority for the legislatures and Governor of Massachusetts. We have hundreds of volunteer advocates and ambassadors, including individuals with Early Stage Alzheimer's, who work together to promote legislation and government planning which will improve dementia care and services, improve access to community-based care, improve quality care in residential settings and expand funding for research and public programs serving people with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia.

We seek to ensure underserved populations dealing with the disease get the treatment and support they need. Because African-American and Latino communities face a higher prevalence of Alzheimer's disease, we have staff members who run specific support groups for these populations as well as providing education programs in the community and working with other local nonprofits to reach the community. We also work with healthcare providers to increase their awareness of health disparities related to Alzheimer's disease detection and treatment. We also address the needs of Portuguese-speaking communities, Vietnamese communities, people with disabilities, and people in rural/isolated communities.