Alzheimer's San Diego Trains 'Gatekeepers' to Help People Showing Signs of Dementia

Alzheimer's San Diego has initiated a free program to train people who interact with the community to identify dementia symptoms and help sufferers access assistive services, reports the San Diego Union Tribune . The group teamed with Alzheimer's Orange County to develop the Dementia Gatekeepers program through a federal grant from the Administration for Community Living. The aim is to boost referrals to both nonprofits across the San Diego and Orange County areas. Alzheimer's San Diego Education Director Amy Abrams said the effort is focused on non-traditional gatekeepers like bankers, restaurant servers, and grocery clerks. "We have a real challenge as an organization . . . in trying to reach people with dementia who live alone or don't have a family member or some other care partner who can reach out to our organization directly," she explained. Trainees learn to spot possible symptoms of cognitive decline and communication skills for someone with dementia, and then ask the person if they can direct them to local resources, and submit their contact information online. A social worker from Alzheimer's San Diego will then reach out to help with accessibility.