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Target Community & Program

Introducing Target Community

Community members are seniors with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The primary goal of this initiative is to expand access to essential clinical preventive treatments for male individuals over the age of 65 who have been medically diagnosed with AD and other types of dementia or for their caretakers (Dafsari et al., 2020). It is no surprise that many countries prioritize public health, as their economies' expansion and productivity are directly tied to the health of their citizens. The health organization, therefore, pays particular attention to setting goals for maintaining the public health of all age groups. Due to their heightened susceptibility to a wide range of health concerns, the elderly population in the United States is considered a population at risk (Khadka et al., 2020). In the United States, mental health is a major cause for concern as the oldest Baby Boomers reach retirement age.

49.2 million people in the United States were 65 or older as of 2016. This amounted to 15.2% of the overall population and translates as one person over 65 for every seven people in the United States (Khadka et al., 2020). Maintaining the population's psychological health may help lessen their need for support. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure an up-to-date older adult community and greater involvement by implementing a program that might raise awareness about the accessibility of mental health problems and clinical preventative treatments. For this reason, Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis is often taken as seriously as if it were a terminal illness. The disease can progress beyond the point where it can be treated or halted. Before AD reaches its terminal stages, persons with the disease can participate in significant activities and continue to pursue positive and loving relationships (Khadka et al., 2020). The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease also overlooks the possibility that there are resolvable causes for cognitive difficulties. This program is crucial in addressing such reasons, including melancholy that can be managed in adults' early phases of AD.

Caregivers' needs must be considered as well. Caretakers of the elderly with Alzheimer's disease are typically members of the patient's own family. They provide most of the care at high personal cost while saving the health care system money. Research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that unpaid carers saved the United States $375 billion, or roughly 20% of the overall cost of healthcare (Dafsari et al., 2020). Stress is a major factor for caregivers, making them more vulnerable to mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. Overwork can cause them to get physically ill or cause them to burn out. Many interventions, including support groups, psychiatric awareness, residential care, and counseling, would be helpful for these carers. Earlier studies have shown that such therapies can postpone the necessity for care home placement by 18 months and help minimize physical ailments, anxiety, and sadness among caretakers of AD patients (Khadka et al., 2020). Caregivers can benefit from counseling and coping strategies while learning how to care for aging persons with AD, which can reduce stress and enhance mental health.

When considering the psychological well-being of the elderly, gender becomes an important factor. The vast majority of studies show that women over 65 have a higher risk of developing AD than men. Women risk developing Alzheimer's disease more than males, yet the sexes are expected to diverge beyond age 85 (Dafsari et al., 2020). A consistent pattern of results showed that women were more likely to get AD than men, whereas men were more likely to suffer vascular dementia. Tragically, fewer older men than women take advantage of clinical preventive services for mental health problems. Because of this, the program has the potential to attract more older male persons with AD, which may lead to greater complexity in the care of male mental health.

Evidence from the published literature suggests that those aged 65 and up are disproportionately at risk for developing mental diseases like Alzheimer's disease. Men aged 65 and over have a lower prevalence of AD than women, which is offset by the fact that they are less likely to use clinical preventative treatments (Khadka et al., 2020). Therefore, if the goal is not achieved, men will be more likely to develop AD than women. Multiple maladaptive health behaviors among older male persons are identified through an examination of the literature concerning the program's goals. For example, older people are more likely to seek out mental health preventative services, are more likely to be exposed to depressive variables, and are less able to cope with life's challenges due to their age (King et al., 2021). As a result, they are even more likely to develop AD.

Health Promotion Program and Sample

There is mounting evidence that Alzheimer's disease is on the rise among the elderly, particularly men. Males showed an incidence rate of 13 per 1000 individuals between the ages of 75 and 79, while females showed a rate of 15 per 1000 individuals. Still, in both cases, the incline was upward. Increasing rates of Alzheimer's disease among the elderly can be seen not only in an age-related but also in a time-related trend (King et al., 2021). According to statistics compiled by the United States Census Bureau, the prevalence of dementia among Americans aged over 65 and up has increased dramatically during the past two decades. Dementia, notably Alzheimer's disease, is thus a worldwide problem that needs immediate attention.

Experts in the sample group will be responsible for compiling medical documents that attest to the selected individuals' health improvements and overall well-being. Records will be collected, interviewers will ask follow-up questions, and one-on-one conversations will be arranged. The professionals will talk to the patients about whether or not their needs have been addressed. Additionally, experts, assessors, and informal caregivers of the patients recruited will be interviewed using a structured interview guide. After accumulating all of the necessary information, it will be cataloged and structured so that analysis may be performed with SPSS. All ethical approvals were acquired from the organization's ethical board and the ethics commission. This study will adhere completely to all regulations designed to protect its participants and ensure their privacy. The research program's ethical guidelines will be made available to all participants. This set of rules will be read aloud and thoroughly explained to them. The targeted respondents must accept the conditions of the arrangements.

Proposed Program

A rise of 33% from 2006 figures indicates that the United States government is prioritizing the needs of the elderly. The growth of the elderly population is outpacing the growth of the working-age population by a wide margin (Khadka et al., 2020). Awareness and utilization of existing clinical preventative treatments is one aspect that might handle problems with mental health like Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. The first indication of the necessity for the scheme is the increasing amount of the elderly population. Between 2006 and 2016, the number of people aged 65 and more increased by 33%, whereas the number of people aged 16 to 34 increased by only 5% (Dafsari et al., 2020). An increase in household dependents might severely harm the nation's economy, and because the elderly make up 15.2 percent of people, their health is to be regarded severely.

Furthermore, there is solid evidence in the literature linking aging to the onset of mental health issues, including Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. They found that people who had been depressed were more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD) throughout the 17-year follow-up study. Tragically, old age often comes with sad circumstances. Increased medication dosages, increased susceptibility to many physical diseases, and age-related shifts in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics all increase the likelihood that a depressed individual would experience negative effects from their treatment (Dafsari et al., 2020). When all of these causes are considered together, one stands out as the primary driver of depression in the elderly: time passed. As a result, raising awareness among the elderly about the availability of clinical preventative treatments is crucial, as this is linked to several dementias, including Alzheimer's disease. As a result, vulnerable older persons may have a better quality of life if they participate in such programs to lower their chance of developing AD.

The program will follow NAPA, whose passage let the country come together and address the difficulties of AD/ADRD. This National Strategy is the road map to realizing the dream of a nation free of AD, developed via consultation with individuals within and outside the United States government (Sheehan, 2021). Those with AD/ADRD and their loved ones and carers are at the center and provide direction for the National Plan. Help is available through the medical healthcare system for those with AD/ADRD and their caretakers, and through long-term care, such as HCBS, legal support, and other welfare care, for those living with the disease and their families. In order to effectively assist those living with AD/ADRD and their unemployed people, better resources are needed in medical treatment and community support settings. Interventions that aid doctors, supporting providers, HCBS companies, individuals with dementia, and relatives are the focus of current and future studies. All this work needs to occur in the context of increased knowledge about the diseases, their causes, their effects, and how they can be mitigated or eliminated. These are the fundamental issues that the Plan intends to solve. In order to realize NAPA's lofty goals, HHS has pledged to monitor and coordinate its implementation and make necessary modifications.

References

Dafsari, F. S., & Jessen, F. (2020). Depression—an underrecognized target for prevention of dementia in Alzheimer's disease.  Translational Psychiatry,  10(1), 1-13. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-020-0839-1

Khadka, S., Basnet, R., Shrestha, S., Wang, Y., & Gupta, R. (2020). Acetyl cholinesterase: a potential target for Alzheimer's disease intervention.  Journal of Patan Academy of Health Sciences,  7(2), 95-97. https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/JPAHS/article/view/31130https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/JPAHS/article/view/31130

King, J. L. J. S. P., & Suphioglu, C. (2021). Apolipoprotein E4 as a novel treatment target for Alzheimer's disease.  Cell Physiol Biochem,  55, 773-783. https://www.cellphysiolbiochem.com/Articles/000475/PDF/000475.pdf

Sheehan, C. (2021). The elusive target: Towards an understanding of the metaphors about dementia and sustainability. In  Metaphor, Sustainability, Transformation (pp. 183-195). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003143567-13/elusive-target-cormac-sheehan

Weller, J., & Budson, A. (2018). Current understanding of Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and treatment.  F1000Research,  7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6073093/