For public health students, educators and professionals, it is critical to understand the public health significance and opportunities to create immediate and long-term change for people living with dementia and their caregivers. A Public Health Approach to Alzheimer's and Other Dementias is a free, online, interactive curriculum featuring videos, knowledge checks and next steps for public health students and professionals. Anyone with internet access can easily learn from this curriculum at home, work, or school, offering convenience for learners everywhere, anytime, without any cost.
Each module also includes a downloadable instructor guide for educators or trainers who want to incorporate the content of the modules into their classroom or training activities. The comprehensive guides offer learning objectives, a list of relevant competencies, teaching aids such as case studies, test questions, video resources and additional learning activities.
Once you have completed a module, you can print a certificate recognizing your completion of the training in each specific topic.
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Health Equity in Dementia — Using a Public Health Lens to Advance Health Equity in Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias
This interactive online course addresses health equity in Alzheimer's disease and other dementias from a population-based, life-course approach to reduce risk and ensure that everyone can live their best life after a diagnosis. Create an account and "Add to Cart" to begin the free, interactive module.
Public Health and Dementia Caregiving
A new module on Public Health and Dementia Caregiving will be released soon.
Classroom-based modules
These modules were designed in 2016 for use in the classroom to be led by faculty instruction. These will be updated to the interactive format in 2024.
Alzheimer's Disease — A Public Health Crisis
This module frames Alzheimer's disease and dementia as a public health epidemic with a large and rapidly growing burden that has a significant impact on the nation. The impact of Alzheimer's is felt at a national, state and local level — as well as on a family and personal level — through financial burdens, resource needs and professional requirements.
Alzheimer's and Other Dementias — The Basics
This module provides background information on Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. It lays a foundation for what cognitive health is and how changes in the brain may lead to cognitive aging, cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's and other dementias.
Alzheimer's Disease — What is the Role of Public Health?
This module briefly describes the Alzheimer's epidemic in the United States, followed by a discussion of four public health intervention tools that can help to significantly mitigate the Alzheimer's crisis. The four tools discussed are surveillance/monitoring, primary prevention, early detection and diagnosis, and ensuring safety and quality of care.
Dementia-Capable Systems and Dementia-Friendly Communities
This module describes the concepts of "dementia-capable" systems and dementia-friendly communities. Both involve systems and infrastructure that can accommodate the unique needs of people with cognitive impairments. The module describes how to plan such communities though evidence-based programs, partnerships, support services, workforce training and other measures.