Placer County receives funds to support residents with Alzheimer's, dementia

A new grant from the California Department of Public Health will help Placer County create "dementia-friendly" communities in the next two years. The county's Public Health division was one of six statewide that were awarded the competitive grant, which awards the county $750,000 over a 25-month period. Public Health officials will embark on a collaborative effort to increase community support so residents with Alzheimer's and other age-related brain dementias may lead fulfilling lives and remain engaged and independent as long as possible. Placer County is an aging community, with 74,000 residents over the age of 65 in 2017. The county's senior population will surge to about 120,000 by 2030, according to California Department of Finance forecasts — about 26 percent of the total estimated population. From 2003 to 2017, the number of deaths in Placer County from Alzheimer's increased 162 percent, making it the third-leading cause of death. "This grant will allow us to mobilize partnerships across many sectors, like healthcare, transportation, community-based organizations, law enforcement, businesses and others," said Dr. Aimee Sisson, the county's health officer and public health director. "Bringing everyone to the table will give us a more comprehensive understanding of the needs of our residents with Alzheimer's and their caregivers." Next steps for the officials from the Public Health division include conducting a needs assessment backed by more in-depth research and to develop an advisory committee to help drive the spending of the grant funds. Officials from the Public Health division are currently reaching out to and seeking community members that are interested in being a member of the advisory committee, which will convene in Auburn. The goal of the group is to convene traditional stakeholders (nursing home representatives, caregivers, etc.) with nontraditional stakeholders (transportation, law enforcement, etc.). Once the advisory group is complete, members will work on community outreach and policies that could positively impact the county, informed by best practices from other communities across the county. They will also set priorities and help determine how to appropriately spend the grant funds to support the county's aging population. The grant is part of the larger Healthy Brain Initiative — a collaborative effort to advance public health awareness of and action on Alzheimer's disease as a public health issue. Healthy Brain Initiative partners work together to better understand the public health burden of cognitive impairment through surveillance; build a strong evidence base for policies, communication and programmatic interventions for promoting cognitive health and addressing cognitive impairment and care giving; and translate that foundation into effective public health practice in states and communities. "We're grateful for the opportunity to address this public health issue at the local level, and together with our community partners, find meaningful solutions to minimize the impacts of Alzheimer's disease to Placer County residents," Sisson said. For more information about joining the advisory committee, email shagen@placer.ca.gov.