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HomeMy WebLinkAboutexecutive-summary-hbi-evaluation-2023-through-2025-final-accessibility-checked-7-9-26-ada Alameda County Public Health Department Healthy Brain Initiative | Program Evaluation July 1, 2023 – December 31, 2025 Executive Summary Overview and Background: The Alameda County Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) takes a public health approach to Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). In alignment with the Alameda County Public Health Department’s (ACPHD) mission, HBI centers equity in its community consensus-driven approach. HBI also aligns with the Healthy Brain Initiative State and Local Road Map for Public Health, 2023-2027, developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Alzheimer’s Association, which prioritizes increased integration with other chronic disease efforts and “advances equity by fully integrating brain health and caregiving into state and local public health practice and addressing social determinants of health that impact brain health across the life course” (4). Focus Areas: HBI was launched with a two-year grant (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2025) from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and supported by additional funding from ACPHD (July 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025). The project included objectives in these focus areas: 1. Community Advisory Coalition: The Alameda County Age-Friendly Council’s Embracing Aging (EA) Workgroup serves as HBI’s Community Advisory Coalition. Representing community-based organizations and County agencies, members bring deep experience to the work. 2. Community Needs Assessment and Strategic Plan: The HBI Community Needs Assessment (CNA) and Strategic Plan were developed in partnership with the Age-Friendly Council, its EA Workgroup, and ACPHD’s Community Assessment, Planning and Evaluation (CAPE) Unit. Together, they gathered quantitative and qualitative data on the need for a better coordinated system of care. Among Alameda County residents aged 65 and older in 2020, there was a 12.1% prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease overall; and in 2021, ADRD was the third leading cause of death in that age group. There are significant disparities by race and ethnicity, particularly for the African American/Black, Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native populations. There are also disparities in low-income areas of the county, where ADRD-related hospitalizations and Emergency Department (ED) visits are disproportionate to the prevalence of ADRD. To develop the Strategic Plan, HBI staff collected qualitative data from key informant interviews and listening sessions that included a total of 98 people. Themes included the need to fill service gaps, improve health systems access and quality of care, expand partnerships, and develop a Dementia-Friendly Community in Alameda County. HBI Program Evaluation Executive Summary, Page 2 3. ADRD Trainings: To expand systems’ capacity to work with people with ADRD, HBI offered trainings to a wide variety of health and social service providers, as well to family caregivers. HBI partnered with six organizations: ACPHD Care Partners, the Alzheimer’s Association, Grimsich Consulting, Roots Community Health, Sage Dementia Consulting, and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), Division of Geriatrics. Topics included Dementia Essentials, Behaviors as Communication, Self-care for Caregivers, and many others. By December 31, 2025, HBI had provided over 110 ADRD training sessions to nearly 1,700 people across Alameda County. Of the training participants, 38% (624) submitted training evaluations. Trainings were well received across the board, with 92% of respondents rating the trainings as “Excellent” or “Very Good.” Trainings reached a wide range of participants by age, race/ethnicity and language. Four trainings were provided in Chinese to 173 participants, and two trainings in Spanish reached 56 people. Among training participants who completed evaluations, over half (55%) were older adults age 55 and over. Nearly a quarter (23%) were Black or African American, which is significant as that population has among the highest ADRD prevalence, hospitalizations and death rates in Alameda County. However, the Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native populations were underrepresented. Efforts to reach those communities are continuing, as they also suffer disproportionate impacts from ADRD. 4. Emergency Planning and Preparedness: Including the needs of those with cognitive impairments within broader discussions of Access and Functional Needs (AFN) is the best way to ensure that emergency plans are prepared to meet the needs of people living with dementia and their caregivers. During fall 2024, in partnership with ACPHD staff from the Alameda County Developmental Disabilities Council, Alameda County Functional Assessment and Service Team (FAST), and the Age-Friendly Council, HBI developed and launched the Alameda County Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Advisory Committee. The AFN Advisory Committee currently includes 55 people from 35 community-based organizations, cities and county agencies. The committee has prioritized three objectives: 1) Review existing city and county EOPs for AFN integration; 2) Develop and implement an AFN review tool or ADA checklist; 3) Participate in action-oriented projects such as tabletop and full-scale exercises to test recommendations. HBI has been awarded funding from the Alzheimer’s Association’s HBI Road Map Strategist Program to continue its efforts through September 2026. The funding will support continued local implementation of the Healthy Brain Initiative State and Local Road Map for Public Health 2023-2027. This will include additional trainings and the development of Memory Cafés where people living with ADRD can participate in activities while their caregivers can receive training and resources and connect with their peers.