ACT Health Care Summit 2016 – Article Template

Please share the synergy and commitments from the recent ACT on Alzheimer’s Health Care Leadership Summit with your organization and its partners. We encourage you to share key messages and your community work through your organization’s communication channels. Modify this article template as appropriate to meet your needs.

Headline: Building On Our Plans to Act on Alzheimer’s

[ORGANIZATION] is planning howwe can spread awareness in advancing care and support for people with dementia and their caregivers.Staff from[ORGANIZATION] joined more than 135 health care and community leaders from across Minnesota at the ACT on Alzheimer’s Health Care Leadership Summit,heldSeptember 29. It was a high-energy working session to explore creative solutions for improving dementia detection and care in our communities and influencing the national discussion around this disease.

People with dementia and their caregivers at the summit asked that Alzheimer’s have similar care standards for diagnosis and follow-up as other chronic diseases and conditions, like heart disease, cancerand pregnancy. Research shows that delayed diagnosis and failing to connect people to community-based supports often results in preventable crises.

The summit’s call to action was clear: We need early detection and a team approach using care coordination to avoid more preventable crises and improve quality of life and care for people living with dementia.

“In my experience as a caregiver to my father, as well as in witnessing and supporting the families I work with on this journey, I have a wish list for improving the system,”said summit speaker Melissa Schebloom, MSW, LICSW, social worker at NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center and Centro Tyrone Guzman.“The wishes begin with required training, education, and built-in tools for professionals around early detection and follow-up care, including referrals to community-based resources. Last, but not least, is a wish for a standard for follow-up care and case management across all health care facilities and employing more well trained and experienced social workers, care coordinators, and community health workers to provide support to clients and families,” Melissa concluded.

Dementia is personal. We’ve all been affected professionally or personally by dementia—every 66 seconds someone develops Alzheimer’s. The risk is highest for older African Americans, Latinos and women.

[ORGANIZATION] is part of the solution to changethe stigma of dementia and focus on challenging all parts of our communities to adopt dementia-friendly practices for the good of everyone touched by Alzheimer’s and related dementias. We plan to explore [INSERT YOUR IDEAS]. [Ideas could include: Making connections with local clinics and other medical providers to inform them of our dementia friendly work underway; seeking more involvement by medical professionals on our action team; creating a health care leadership team for dementia-related education and training community-wide]

Such actions will build upon our efforts to support people living with dementia and their caregivers:

  • INSERT KEY PAST/CURRENT WORK [For example, Partnering with health care clinics to hold ACT Provider and Care Coordinator Training]
  • INSERT KEY PAST/CURRENT WORK[For example, Dementia Friends Information Sessions]
  • INSERT KEY PAST/CURRENT WORK [For example, Hosting community educational events about dementia and local resources available]
  • INSERT KEY PAST/CURRENT WORK [For example, Holding caregiver support groups and other activities to help caregivers access resources]

All of the presenters at the ACT Health Care Summit spoke to the resolve to improve dementia detection and care for people across Minnesota and beyond. “We know how to do this,” said Penny Wheeler, CEO of Allina Health. “We just need to act. The time is now.”

Ask how you can get involved in changing the future of dementia by contacting[YOUR ORGANIZATION’S CONTACT PERSON].

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ACT on Alzheimer’sis a statewide, multidimensional collaboration seeking large-scale social change and building community capacityto transform Minnesota’s response to Alzheimer’s disease. Signature goals are to help health care providers and systems become dementia capable and sustain caregivers by offering them information, resources and in-person support. Find tools and resources at