Project Summary
The project goal is to improve the care and support of patients in Montana with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), their families, and their caregivers. To accomplish this aim, a comprehensive approach at the individual, community, and state levels is needed to raise public awareness of ADRD; increase early disease detection; ensure best practice approaches to disease management and associated psychosocial issues; identify and address caregiver burden; and improve quality of life for patients, families, and caregivers.
Our primary objective is to finalize the development of a statewide advisory board, the Montana Alzheimer’s/Dementia Work Group, composed of patients, family members, caregivers, healthcare professionals, health service researchers, and state advocacy and health agencies committed to improving the care of patients with ADRD and supporting their caregivers. Funding from this award will enable us to continue to build relationships among these key stakeholders via six in-person meetings. A formal governance structure and outreach communication plan for the work group will be completed.
The work group is committed to developing a comprehensive Montana Alzheimer’s State Plan from which comparative effectiveness research (CER) questions should emerge. Anticipated deliverables include: completing a state inventory of current ADRD resources and services; obtaining patient partner input by conducting six to eight town-hall meetings across the state; identifying gaps in care and services, and potential solutions; writing a Montana Alzheimer’s State Plan; and creating a list of viable ADRD-related CER questions generated by the work group for further exploration in a Tier III proposal.