Health team networking: Alzheimer's disease care.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neurology
• Public Health

Background:

• Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) incidence is rising, straining physician capacity for family care.
• Physicians require interdisciplinary collaboration and community resources to adequately support families affected by ADRD.
• Families impacted by ADRD urgently need accessible information and support services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, implement, and evaluate a community-based strategy addressing the information needs of families affected by Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
• To assess the effectiveness of a community forum as a supportive resource for families navigating ADRD.
• To establish a replicable model for interdisciplinary collaboration in ADRD care.

Main Methods:

• A networked approach involving physicians and health professionals in North Central Florida.
• Development and execution of a two-hour daytime community forum on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
• Inclusion of small discussion groups and a panel of experts for direct family engagement and Q&A.

Main Results:

• The community forum was highly successful in meeting the information needs of families.
• The program demonstrated significant positive outcomes, leading to its replication.
• Participant feedback indicated high satisfaction with the information and support provided.

Conclusions:

• Community forums are an effective strategy for supporting families dealing with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.
• Interdisciplinary networking and resource integration are crucial for comprehensive ADRD family care.
• The developed forum model offers a replicable and successful approach to enhance community support for ADRD.