A BOLD Future for Tennessee

In 2023, TDH was one of 43 public health agencies to receive a two-year award from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act. Again, in 2023 TDH was awarded funding to support five years of BOLD work. BOLD funding aims to strengthen the public health response to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD).

Key Objectives

Enhance Public Awareness and Education: Increase understanding of ADRD among the public, especially in high-burden populations, as well as among healthcare providers and professionals. This includes promoting knowledge about risk factors, early detection, and management of dementia.

In the Dark Campaign

In the Dark - Memory Loss

In the Dark - Caregiver

In the Dark - Risk Reduction

Healthy Brain, Healthy You Risk Reduction Rack Cards

Teaching Youth about Dementia

Promote Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Prevention: Support efforts to prevent, detect, and manage dementia across its different stages. This involves activities that range from promoting brain health and preventing cognitive decline to improving the quality of care and support for those already living with dementia.
- TN Dementia ECHO
- Older Adults (65+): Healthy Aging, Practice Guide

Address Social Determinants of Health (SDOH): Focus on achieving health equity by addressing the social and environmental factors that contribute to disparities in dementia outcomes. This includes improving access to resources and services for populations disproportionately affected by dementia.
- engAGING Communities Town Hall – Aging & Health

Strengthen Community-Clinical Linkages: Enhance the connections between healthcare systems, public health agencies, and community-based organizations to create a more coordinated and comprehensive approach to dementia care. This ensures that individuals and families affected by dementia have access to the support and services they need.
- Tennessee ADRD Advisory Council
- Tennessee Dementia Action Collaborative (TDAC)
- Tennessee Dementia Navigator Program: The Dementia Navigator Program will transform dementia care by training providers for accurate diagnoses, management, and preclinical workup, delivering personalized in-home support to simplify access and coordination for individuals and caregivers, and promoting risk reduction awareness.

Click here to learn more about the Tennessee Dementia Navigator Program.

Expand Public Health Infrastructure: Develop and sustain public health systems and policies that support effective and scalable interventions for dementia. This includes fostering collaborations across sectors and leveraging data to inform public health strategies.

Overall, BOLD funding aims to strengthen the public health infrastructure to effectively address the growing impact of ADRD, with a strong emphasis on health equity and comprehensive care.

Healthy Brain Initiative

TDH’s BOLD activities are aligned with the strategies outlined in the Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) Road Map. The Road Map is a guide for public health entities to implement strategies that support cognitive health and address dementia. The guide promotes brain health across the lifespan, with an emphasis on middle-aged and older adults who are at a greater risk for cognitive decline and dementia.

Key Elements

Awareness & Education: Enhance public and professional understanding of cognitive health and dementia.
Surveillance: Collect and analyze data on cognitive health, Alzheimer’s, and caregiving.Intervention: Encourage early detection and management of cognitive decline.
Caregiving Support: Provide resources and support for caregivers.
Public Health Actions: Mobilize communities to take action on brain health.

Learn More

Alzheimer’s Association, Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) Road Map

Alzheimer’s Disease Data

Data surveillance for dementia involves systematically collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data related to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). This process helps public health officials, researchers, and policymakers understand the prevalence, risk factors, and impact of dementia on communities.

Key Components of Dementia Data Surveillance

Prevalence & Incidence: These data points tell us how many people currently have dementia (prevalence) and how many new cases are diagnosed over a specific period (incidence).
Risk Factors: Data on risk factors, such as age, genetics, lifestyle, and co-existing health conditions, helps identify who is more likely to develop dementia.
Health Disparities: Analyzing dementia data across different groups—such as by race, ethnicity, gender, income, or geography—reveals disparities in who gets dementia and how they are treated.
Impact on Healthcare: Data about hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and long-term care admissions related to dementia shows the impact of the disease on the healthcare system.
Caregiver Burden: Understanding data on the experiences of caregivers, including the physical, emotional, and financial toll, is important for creating support systems for those who care for people with dementia.

Types of Dementia & Aging Data

*This is not an exhaustive list; however, it serves as a useful starting point.

Surveillance Systems: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a state-based health survey that collects data on various health-related behaviors, chronic health conditions, and the use of preventive services among Tennessee residents.
- Cognitive Decline and Caregiving Modules: The Tennessee BRFSS often includes optional modules, such as those related to cognitive decline and caregiving. See the most recent BRFSS data here or visit CDC, TN Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Data Dashboard, here.
Community Assessment Tools:
- AARP Livability Index: This tool measures the livability of U.S. communities based on seven categories: housing, neighborhood, transportation, environment, health, engagement, and opportunity. It helps users assess how age-friendly a community is for older adults.
- Community Health Assessment (CHA): This tool is used by health departments and hospitals to assess the health needs of their communities. It helps identify priority areas for intervention, including issues that affect older adults, like chronic diseases, mental health, and social determinants of health. Learn more about the TN CHA process and priorities, here.
- U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS): The ACS provides detailed demographic, social, and economic data that can be used to assess community needs, including those relevant to older adults and aging populations.
Public Health Dashboards: Tools like the:
- TN Multi-Sector Plan for Aging Data Dashboard: Developed by TennCare and ETSU to support the TN Multi-Sector Plan for Aging, the dashboard illustrates demographics (population trends in age, gender, and geographic distribution), health outcomes for older adults (dementia, chronic diseases, mental health, disabilities), social determinants of health (housing, transportation, social isolation, economic security), public health metrics (healthcare access, preventive services), regional comparisons, and community resources (caregiving support, senior housing, health care facilities).
- County Health Rankings & Roadmaps: Developed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, this platform ranks the health of counties based on various measures, including health behaviors, clinical care, and social determinants of health.
- America’s Health Rankings: Created by the United Health Foundation, this dashboard provides annual data on the health of each state, looking at a range of factors like health outcomes, behaviors, and policy changes. Click to view the 2024 Senior Report and learn more about ways to improve Tennessee’s ranking.
- Healthy People 2030 Data Tracker: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides this dashboard to track the nation's progress toward meeting the Healthy People 2030 objectives, with data on a wide array of health topics including dementia and caregivers.
Partnerships: