Work Groups
SPADO work groups convene on a regular basis to address issues and develop solutions that relate to the overarching goals of the State Plan.
Public Awareness and Outreach Work Group
The Public Awareness and Outreach Work Group focuses on educating the broader public about issues related to dementia and brain health, removing the stigma associated with dementia, endorsing community programs that support safety for living with dementia, and preserving the rights of people living with dementia.
Standards of Care Work Group
The Standards of Care Work Group focuses its efforts toward improving standards of dementia care across all types of care, including in-home, respite/adult day services, and congregate settings (assisted living, residential care, and nursing care). Particular topics of interest include screening and diagnosis of dementia in primary care settings, training and education for staff in long term care settings, the provision of meaningful and individualized activities for people with dementia, and ensuring adequate staffing in long term care facilities serving people with dementia.
Data Collection and Research Work Group
The Data Collection and Research Work Group focuses on work related to sharing data across sectors, cataloguing dementia-related resources and trainings, and ensuring stability of current research efforts and data collection.
Clinical/Medical Systems Work Group
The Clinical/Medical Systems Work Group is focused on issues related to recruitment and education of dementia-capable providers. Examples include: improving hospital approaches to and care of people with dementia, training for medical professionals related to Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders, attracting more medical professionals to the practice of geriatrics, and encouraging proper screening and diagnosis of dementia.
Caregiving and Family Support Work Group
The Caregiving and Family Support Work Group focuses on improving access to resources, training, and services for the families of people living with dementia. This includes families living with young onset and other “non-traditional” situations of dementia. This group also works on issues related to “gap” services for people lacking resources, such as guardianship, housing, domestic violence services, and Adult Protective Services (APS) involvement.