Component 2: Los Angeles County BOLD Initiative, 2023-2028 - Alzheimer’s disease is the third leading cause of death in Los Angeles County (LAC), with over 6,000 deaths per year, accounting for more than 20% of all such deaths in California. In 2022, an estimated 166,000 Angelenos were living with this disease. By 2040, this number is expected to rise by 150% to over 405,000. Priority populations such as African Americans/ Blacks, Latinos, and residents of rural areas in LAC are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD); they are also disproportionately impacted by preventable risk factors that predispose them to these conditions. To address this growing problem in the county, a public health approach is needed to develop and implement strategies that can be tailored to the needs of those with or are at risk for ADRD. In 2018, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (DPH) was awarded Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funding to support the Los Angeles County BOLD Initiative (LA BOLD), a core capacity project designed to address local gaps in dementia care and support. As part of LA BOLD, DPH established the Healthy Brain LA (HBLA) Coalition, with the intent to: (a) engage key stakeholders in broadening the dialogue on ADRD in LAC; (b) initiate meaningful collaborations across various sectors in the region; and (c) develop a Strategic Plan that would emphasize prevention and promote the implementation of evidence-based programs and system-level strategies to reduce the adverse health and social impacts of ADRD. The Coalition includes representatives from multiple sectors with expertise in subject areas such as dementia care, geriatrics, mental health, health services delivery, policy development and adoption, and research. Together, the HBLA Coalition identified three focus areas of interest for the Strategic Plan to address: hypertension prevention and management, early detection, and advance care planning. For each of these areas, objectives, strategies and activities were developed to align with recommendations outlined in the Healthy Brain Initiative State and Local Public Health Partnership to Address Dementia: the 2018-2023 Road Map. The proposed Component 2: Los Angeles County BOLD Initiative, 2023-2028 (LA BOLD 2023-2028) will leverage the capacity built and partnerships fostered during the previous 3 years of the first LA BOLD project to further strengthen systems that will address the local burden of ADRD and support those affected by these conditions. LA BOLD 2023-2028 will: (i) develop and execute a detailed and measurable Implementation Plan to achieve the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the LAC Strategic Plan; (ii) expand the HBLA Coalition; (iii) increase awareness of ADRD among the general public and health care providers and other professionals; and (iv) increase access to dementia care services, resources, and tools. LA BOLD 2023-2028 will also conduct evaluations of the selected strategies and disseminate findings, when available, to further inform other ADRD efforts at the county, state, and national level.
