Presidential Interdisciplinary Seed Grants

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) are among the most expensive and debilitating diseases in the United States and will place a $1 trillion annual burden on the healthcare system by 2050. In rural Georgia, education and programming to prevent ADRD, opportunities to join clinical research, and access to diagnosis and post-diagnosis support are limited, yet risk factors for ADRD (older age, poor nutrition, poverty, comorbidities, obesity, etc.) are more prevalent. The key to increased longevity and improved quality of life with ADRD is early and accurate diagnosis and intervention; yet 80% of Georgians who experience loss of cognitive function do not talk to a healthcare provider about their risks or current health conditions. We envision a Georgia in which everyone has access to early and accurate diagnosis and treatment. To achieve this goal, we created the Cognitive Aging Research and Education (CARE) Center, which will provide state-wide community dementia prevention education, healthcare provider education, development of digital health infrastructure for diagnosis, as well as geographically- and culturally-tailored post-diagnosis support, linkage to care and treatment, and opportunities to participate in cutting-edge research.

Team Lead

Lisa Renzi-Hammond
Institute of Gerontology
lrenzi@uga.edu

Jenay Beer
Institute of Gerontology
jenay.beer@uga.edu

Team Members

Denise Dixon Everson
UGA Extension

Bernadette Heckman
Department of Counseling and Human Development Services

Donald Scott
Geriatrics, Internal Medicine

Sharon Liggett
Archway Partnership

Devin Lavender
Department of Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy

Timothy Heckman
Department of Health Promotion and Behavior

Lawrence Sweet
Department of Psychology

Alexander Scherr
Veterans Legal Clinic

Tiffany Washington
Social Work

Grace Bagwell Adams
Department of Health Policy and Management