Asian Pacific Islander Dementia Care Network
Alzheimer's Association California Southland Chapter
Los Angeles, CA
The overall goal of the program is to meet the needs of an ethnically and culturally diverse population by developing and testing innovative models of service delivery for at-risk and under-served populations with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. In order to fulfill this goal, the objectives include offering culturally and linguistically appropriate patient and family services to assist those affected with Alzheimer’s disease; educating both the public and health care professionals through community and caregiver education and professional training; supporting research into the cause, prevention, treatment and cure for Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders; and advocating improved public policy and promoting needed legislation.
The Asian Pacific Islander Dementia Care Network – L.A. (API DCN) addresses gaps in the community-based continuum of care for API’s by expanding culturally and linguistically competent services for caregivers and building the capacity of community-based partner agencies in Los Angeles. The overall aim of the project is to enhance the capacity of a community-based network of health, aging and ethnic support service providers to better serve caregivers of older adults with dementia. The project seeks to address the specific needs of API caregivers in Los Angeles by building on community strengths and addressing gaps in the service continuum that have been identified through a needs assessment and community based asset mapping.
In July 2000, the API DCN first began targeting family caregivers of individuals with dementia (Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese communities in the Bay Area and Los Angeles). Four years later, the project’s second cycle expanded to include Korean (L.A.) and Vietnamese (Orange County) families. The current cycle (2009), expands efforts in the Chinese and Japanese communities and begins services for Filipinos in Los Angeles. Through participating DCN agencies, caregivers receive culturally-appropriate assistance from Care Advocates, (trained bi-lingual, bi-cultural paraprofessionals), who provide support, education about the disease and how to care for the caregiver, service referrals, translation, and subsidized respite care referrals.