Background

In 2018, the U.S. Congress passed the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act, providing the blueprint for the first national strategy to address dementia in the U.S. The BOLD legislation was designed to promote the implementation of Healthy Brain Initiative State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2023-2027 Road Map and the Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map for Indian Country.

The activities outlined in BOLD aim to create a uniform national public health infrastructure, in part, by establishing three Public Health Centers of Excellence. Each Center focuses on a key issue related to dementia. The PHCOE-DC is one of these Centers, specializing in Dementia Caregiving. To make widespread impact and ensure a coordinated approach to building a national infrastructure for dementia, the PHCOE-DC works in collaboration with BOLD-funded public health departments, awardees of the National Healthy Brain Initiative and other CDC-funded programs.

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The Purpose of PHCOE-DC

Assisting state, tribal and local public health agencies nationwide by:

  • Collecting, disseminating and creating effective tools and materials for use by public health agencies in implementing their Road Map actions related to dementia caregiving.
  • Providing expert technical assistance and tailored support to public health agencies for identifying, implementing and sustaining proven, evidence-based interventions and programs.
  • Facilitating connections and offering a platform for collaboration between public health agencies and other partners to share successful approaches and develop innovative solutions.

Our Priorities

In alignment with CDC’s Healthy Brain Initiative State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2023-2027 Road Map, our Public Health Center of Excellence has prioritized and will focus its efforts around seven key Road Map actions to advance the public health agenda of dementia caregiving:

Strengthen Care Planning

Strengthen knowledge about, and greater care of, care planning and related tools for people in all stages of dementia.

Evaluate

Embed evaluation into training and caregiving support programs to determine program accessibility, effectiveness, and impact.

Promote Best Practices

Promote the use of effective interventions and best practices to protect brain health, address cognitive impairment, and help meet the needs of caregivers for people with dementia.

Enhance Healthcare Provider Messaging

Ensure that health promotion and chronic disease interventions include messaging for healthcare providers that underscores the essential role of caregivers and the importance of maintaining their health and well-being.

Educate Public Health Professionals

Educate public health professionals about the best available evidence on dementia (including detection) and dementia caregiving, the role of public health, and sources of information, tools, and assistance to support public health action.

Leverage Public Health Data

Use data gleaned through available surveillance strategies and other sources to inform the public health program and policy response to cognitive health, impairment, and caregiving.

Increase Public Health Messaging

Increase messaging that emphasizes both the important role of caregivers in supporting people with dementia and the importance of maintaining caregivers’ health and well-being.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

RESOURCES

Road Map for State and Local Public Health
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Road Map for Indian Country
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BOLD Infrastructure
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National Healthy Brain Initiative
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The Public Health Importance of Dementia Caregiving

For a long time, family caregivers have been bridging the gap between medical and social care systems for adults living with dementia. In the coming decades, with the rapid aging of our country and the declining number of available family members to care for older relatives with health needs, it is imperative that we build a public health infrastructure to support the work caregivers do everyday to care for millions of older Americans living with dementia.

12.7

+ M
Alzheimer’s dementia
By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s dementia is projected to reach 12.7 million, up from 6.2 million in 2021.

15.3

+ B
Dollars of Unpaid Care
Family members and friends provided nearly $257 billion (or 15.3 billion hours) in unpaid care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias in 2020.

11.0

+ M
People
More than 11 million of Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
THE CAREGIVER

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Increased depressive symptoms among caregivers are linked to more frequent doctor visits, increased outpatient tests and procedures, and greater use of over-the-counter and prescription medications.

59

%
Emotional Stress
59% percent of family caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias rated the emotional stress of caregiving as high or very high, and approximately 30%-40% report depression.

35

%
Worsened Health
35% of caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s or another dementia report that their health has worsened due to care responsibilities, and 27% delayed or did not do things they should to maintain their own health.

58

%
Late to Work
In 2020, 57% of dementia caregivers reported being late for work, 18% reduced their work hours and almost 10% gave up working entirely.
THE WORK AHEAD OF US

ACHIEVE BETTER HEALTH EQUITY

50

% +
Felt Discriminated
Half or more dementia caregivers of color say they have faced discrimination when navigating health care settings for their care recipient.
Black Americans and Hispanic Americans are more likely to have Alzheimer’s and other dementias but are less likely to be diagnosed than White Americans.

40

+ Hours
Black Caregivers
Black caregivers are more likely to provide more than 40 hours of care per week, more likely to care for someone with dementia and less likely to use respite services when compared with White caregivers.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

TAKE A DEEPER DIVE

2023 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures
2023 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures
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CDC’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Program
CDC’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Program
Learn more

Consult With Us

Is your agency ready to implement dementia caregiving programming but unsure what public health strategy would be most effective? Do you need help adapting an existing program to diverse caregiver groups? Whatever your needs are, we are here to help you support dementia caregivers in your community.