engAGING Communities

to find resources for living with Alzheimer’s

The stories are unique in their details, but a common thread weaves through them.

“It seems that everyone has a story about how Alzheimer’s, dementia or other issues related to older adults has directly affected their lives,” says Jessica Freeman, assistant professor of communication at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

She has heard dozens of personal stories from across the state as a member of engAGING Communities, a statewide initiative created in 2019 by Freeman and Kristi Wick, Vicki B. Gregg Chair of Gerontology and assistant professor in UTC School of Nursing.

Since receiving a $1.5-million grant in February from the Tennessee Department of Health, Freeman and Wick have set up workshops in several cities, including Chattanooga, Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis, to give information—and hope—to people dealing with dementia and Alzheimer’s, whether themselves or someone they love.

The grant is an effort between the state Department of Health and faith-based communities to build an Intrastate Network to Deliver Equity and Eliminate Disparities (INDEED).

INDEED-funded workshops in 2022 have been attended by 382 people. In each one, the information presented has resulted in wide-eyed amazement from many participants. Questions are non-stop. What are they going to do when symptoms are unmistakable? Even more frightening, what will they do when he is totally incapable of caring for himself?

“We’ve received so much feedback from the workshop attendees in various regions across the state, indicating that they’d like more training and education,” Freeman says.

The workshops are long, but they could last far longer, Wick says.

“We have this five-hour workshop and probably could have gone 12 hours,” she says. “There’s so much fear wrapped up in it. The fear of the unknown, of not understanding the course of the disease, not knowing where to get assistance and help.”

Working with faith-based organizations is an effective way to reach those who might not trust other sources.

“Research tells us that, in Tennessee, faith-based and religious organizations play a major role in individuals’ lives. This includes shaping their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors, including those surrounding health,” Freeman says.

“We also know that, through COVID-19, many of these organizations stepped up and played an instrumental part in addressing this health crisis.”

“Given this, we are leveraging the power of these organizations to help connect community members in need to education, outreach and support for health issues surrounding older adults.”

In Tennessee, Clay, Overton and Hancock counties in Northeast Tennessee and Lauderdale, Crockett, Gibson and Carroll counties in West Tennessee have at least 12% or more of residents diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s, according to data from the state Department of Health.

Along with faith-based and religious groups, engAGING Communities also is reaching out to elderly-care advocacy groups, giving them information and resources in regions across Tennessee. It’s a key step in helping people understand the details of dementia and Alzheimer’s and where to go to learn more.

“There are so many different organizations around the state that are already doing amazing work to support older adults and their caregivers,” Freeman says. “Part of our key mission is to offer a platform for these organizations to more easily connect with each other and those citizens that need them the most.”