Working Together on the Impacts of Alzheimer's
July 2, 2014   
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Collaborative in ACTion

From Scotland to St. Paul to the future

Speaking in Scotland -- In early June, Olivia Mastry gave the keynote address at the Scottish Universities Insights Forum, Memory-Friendly Neighbourhoods, and she left behind  some gems that showcase the work of ACT on Alzheimer's. Questions posed to Olivia included:

  • Who takes on dementia-friendly community work and how do they motivate others?
  • What have been some challenges/barriers for ACT communities and how are they overcoming them?
  • How well does the Toolkit translate from metro to rural communities?
  • How do action teams engage across sectors, especially the business sector?

Representatives from seven countries shared information at the forum, and in Olivia's words, "We all had a rich experience as we discussed major achievements, but also brainstormed challenges."

 

Learning Collaborative in St. Paul - On June 26, nearly 50 representatives from ACT community action teams, Area Agencies on Aging, and the Alzheimer's Association gathered to share best practices and ideas about their ACTing on Alzheimer's work, validate the ups and downs of a grassroots effort, and celebrate the many hard-earned accomplishments! Takeaways included handfuls of ACT resources for communities in each phase of the Toolkit work and, for many attendees, some terrific networking connections. The next Learning Collaborative will be announced via e-mail this fall. For more information, contact [email protected].

 

Post-2015 deliberations - Year-end 2015 will mark the conclusion of the formal collaboration, ACT on Alzheimer's. Our Steering Team (comprised of Leadership Group chairs) is exploring post-2015 scenarios with a resolve to transition our transformative work and find the best platform to influence the evolving issues of Alzheimer's disease. Watch for more information in future e-news.
 
Please stay in touch with the latest happenings of ACT by visiting In the News, our Facebook page, and our Twitter feed.   
Resources in ACTion

 

Online and print resources aid outreach for anyone involved in Alzheimer's work

The ACT on Alzheimer's website has a wealth of dementia-specific resources available for Minnesota community action teams, for health care professionals, for educators, and for all ACT partners and supporters. An interactive information+graphic depicts the many sectors that comprise a dementia-friendly community, and drills down to multiple resources specific to each sector. Current action communities are using these resources to engage community sectors at kick-off events, to educate action team members, and to help guide action steps. Print versions of resources are available to action communities by contacting [email protected].

Community Spotlight

 

CLUES

As part of joining ACT as a new action community in April, CLUES (Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio) furthered its commitment to helping Latino immigrants and first and second generation Latinos become aware of dementia and Alzheimer's and its impact on health and wellness. The organization's Aging Well Services program currently serves families who are often challenged by navigating health care systems and who may be experiencing isolation in caring for loved ones with dementia.  CLUES will use the Dementia Capable Communities Toolkit to provide a clear path for increasing the capacity of community members to care for people with dementia and for supporting their caregivers.

 

CLUES has identified partners from the business, assisted living, health care, faith-based, and community-based service sectors to join the action team. The team plans to work with local Spanish language media outlets to inform the community on how to become involved.

 

"Within the Latino community, caring for our elders is considered an honor and an expectation. One-third of Latino households report having at least one family caregiver. Because the ACT on Alzheimer's toolkit is implemented at the community level, it's an opportunity to educate community members about dementia as a disease and the early signs, so they can make informed decisions," said Adriana Shelton, team lead.

 

To learn about 19 action communities throughout Minnesota
click here to read brief profiles of the 12 newest action communities, as well as updated profiles for the original communities.  

 

Update: June 3 was the close of the latest grant round for communities interested in creating a supportive environment for people with Alzheimer's and their families. Check out In the News in the coming weeks for the announcement of new funded communities.
Leadership Groups

 

May and June Meetings: Summaries

Health Equity Leadership Group, May 9
Sustaining Caregivers, May 21
 
July Meetings
Health Equity Leadership Group, July 2
Management Steering Team, July 8
Detection and Quality Health Care, July 10
 
Visit the Collective Action Lab to learn about Leadership Groups and to access the calendar 
ACT on Alzheimer's is a volunteer-driven, statewide collaboration preparing Minnesota for the personal, social and budgetary impacts of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Over 60 organizations and 300 individuals have come together to  ACT on Alzheimer's.
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