Video intervention to improve dementia literacy and goal of care conversations for Black Americans

PROJECT SUMMARY Danetta Sloan is an Assistant Scientist, in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society with education and professional experience as a homecare hospice Social Worker, addressing the needs of patients and families experiencing end stage Alzheimer’s disease. Her long-term goal is to become a leader in community-based research to develop, translate, and implement evidenced-based, real world interventions to reduce inequities in dementia care and access for Aging Black Americans. This award will ensure Dr. Sloan has the knowledge, skills, and experience to develop, implement and test interventions that build individual and community capacity to improve early diagnosis, access and quality of care to Black Americans. Dr. Sloan has convened an outstanding mentorship team with expertise to help develop her career development and provide training in the relevant research methods to adapt, design cultural appropriate, communication skill building intervention, to implement and test in the Black Faith community. Despite the growth in dementia information and dissemination, Black American communities still experience late diagnosis, and suboptimal care, engaging with dementia care providers later in the disease without adequate knowledge to participate in goal of care conversations. With no cure for Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementias (ADRD), morbidity and mortality remain high and Black Americans are disproportionately impacted and more likely to have ADRD and be unaware. This proposal addresses goals of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease to 1) optimize care quality and efficiency and 2) enhance public awareness and engagement. This proposal will equip individuals with skills to identify signs and symptoms, (increase health literacy in dementia) and goal of care communication training pre-clinical diagnosis. The outcome of the intervention in Aim 3, will afford those who experience dementia the opportunity to self-advocate, participate in research, and engage in quality of life decision-making and advance care planning. Feasibility, acceptability, comprehension and satisfaction, with the intervention and self-efficacy to engage in a goal of care conversation will be assessed.