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To learn more about NACDD’s Healthy Aging and Healthy Brain initiatives, please submit an inquiry below.
HEALTHY AGING AND HEALTHY BRAIN
About Healthy Aging and Healthy Brain
In 2019, NACDD launched its collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to advance awareness of the relationship between brain health and physical health.
This initiative aims to link dementia and cognitive decline risk messaging into key risk reduction areas such as blood pressure, heart health, diabetes, physical activity, healthy eating, and tobacco.
Today, NACDD’s healthy aging and brain health portfolio has expanded to include three distinct but interrelated projects that aim to build the capacity of state, territorial, and local public health departments and their partners to address chronic disease prevention and Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD).
Integrating Brain Health Messaging in Chronic Disease Programs and Facilitating Collaboration among BOLD Public Health Programs (2024-present)
This effort focuses on continued development and expansion of risk reduction resources and building the capacity of state, local, and tribal BOLD recipients to address ADRD.
Project activities include:
- Conducting a gap analysis to assess the capacity-building needs of BOLD recipients.
- Facilitating learning opportunities targeting BOLD recipients and other non-funded state and local health departments through Topic of the Month, peer-to-peer exchanges, an annual Learning Action Institute, and other learning opportunities.
- Maintaining and expanding brain health risk reduction messages and resources (e.g., rack cards and Healthy Aging, Healthy Brain Resource Hub) and chronic disease risk reduction communication products that include brain health.
- Convening a Brain Health Steering Committee made up of subject matter experts to address risk reduction factors and inform the project.
- Convening a BOLD Advisory Workgroup to serve as a sounding board for technical assistance needs and to co-create opportunities.
Development, Implementation and Evaluation of an Evidence-based Brain Health Approach (2024-present)
This initiative embeds brain health across existing prevention and care systems through strong community-clinical linkages. The project focuses on developing, testing, and disseminating an ADRD Community-Clinical Linkages Framework, which will be a practical guide for state health departments and BOLD recipients and a model that connects adults, beginning in midlife, to comprehensive brain health care.
Project activities include:
- Conducting an environmental scan to identify gaps, opportunities, and existing resources across clinical and community settings.
- Convening a multi-disciplinary expert panel to guide framework development.
- Testing and scaling the framework in selected sites, i.e., health departments, Area Agencies on Aging, dementia centers, and health systems.
NACDD collaborative efforts will ensure that this framework is actionable, scalable, and grounded in public health practice. Training, technical assistance, and national dissemination will support BOLD recipients in strengthening clinical-community linkages and integrating evidence-based brain health strategies into existing public health programs.
Equipping Community Health Workers in Rural Areas to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (2024-present)
This project aims to develop a multi-session ECHO (Extending Community Health Outcomes) program for Community Health Workers (CHWs) serving rural and medically underserved areas. The goal of the ECHO is to increase access to quality brain health and dementia-related care in rural and underserved communities by equipping CHWs with specialized training, practical resources, and a supportive, applied learning environment.
This training initiative focuses on dementia risk reduction, early dementia detection, dementia caregiving, evidence-based care practices, and cultural considerations specific to rural communities.
Project activities include:
Piloting the CHW ECHO training program in collaboration with state public health departments, CHW state associations, and CHWs (engaging 5 state partners and 25 CHWs annually).
Testing and scaling a CHW ECHO Implementation Framework across select states.
Developing a scalable, largely self-guided framework to enable state health departments to launch and sustain tailored, CHW-focused dementia ECHO programs with minimal ongoing technical assistance from NACDD.
Expanding program reach and ensuring long-term sustainability by supporting the continued development of the healthcare workforce in rural and medically under-resourced areas.