“Know Where Alzheimer’s Hides” campaign brings more awareness to detection, resources during Older Americans Month

Published May 26, 2022

May is Older Americans Month, and Placer County’s Healthy Brain Initiative program is continuing its work to promote awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related resources through a new multimedia awareness campaign. 

Alzheimer’s is a leading cause of death in Placer County, where the population is older on average compared to the state as a whole. The “Know Where Alzheimer’s Hides” campaign is a partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, a nationwide nonprofit organization. The campaign and its dedicated website are aimed at educating the public on the warning signs of Alzheimer's and raising awareness of the importance of healthy brain habits, early detection and diagnosis.

As part of the campaign, many Placer County residents will receive mailers in the coming weeks and digital campaigns with public service announcements have been running on social media and other online platforms. Additionally, materials will be available at many doctors’ offices and other points of care throughout the county. 

     View PSA: Healthy Habits

View PSA: I Feel Lost

Placer County’s Healthy Brain Initiative is the product of two highly competitive grants totalling nearly $800,000. The county was the first in California to receive the grant from the Alzheimer’s Association and the National Association of County and City Health Officials in 2021 and one of six counties selected to be a part of the California Department of Public Health’s pilot Healthy Brain Initiative Program in 2020. Since its inception in 2020, the Healthy Brain Initiative partners have worked on a number of programs: 

• The Project Lifesaver effort with Lincoln and Auburn law enforcement partners, which helps officers more quickly locate someone who has wandered away from home. As an example, one search and rescue took only 30 minutes compared to the average 9 hours. This program will expand to Rocklin in summer 2022.

• A partnership with the Placer County Regional Transit Planning Authority to develop and implement dementia-friendly training for transit operators.

• Partnerships with Sutter Health to promote early detection and diagnosis, including educational fact cards for first responders to provide during fall-related injury calls, and supporting efforts to increase timely dementia diagnosis at the primary care level rather than relying on specialist referrals.

To learn more about this initiative and supportive community resources visit the Placer County Healthy Brain Initiative’s website at https://www.placer.ca.gov/HealthyBrains.