Jung Kwak, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Nursing, and Alyssa Aguirre, LCSW, assistant director of dementia care transformation in the Department of Neurology at Dell Medical School, received a grant from the Texas Department of State Health Services, in June 2024, to develop an innovative education and training program focused on supporting individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) along with their caregivers.
The project, titled “Interprofessional Curriculum Approach to Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias,” will help equip the next generation of providers with skills to address Alzheimer’s and other dementias through facilitator guides, videos and classroom activities for health care students.
“Receiving this grant is a significant milestone for our effort to promote early education and training about dementia care, and interprofessional collaboration practices among future healthcare providers,” Kwak said. “This grant provides the necessary resources and great opportunities to develop and pilot a high-quality, innovative curriculum that addresses pressing issues in dementia care. With this support, we can foster a deeper understanding and collaboration among students and practitioners in our healthcare fields, ultimately improving the care and outcomes for individuals living with dementia and their families.”
The $750,000 grant is funding a comprehensive, innovative curriculum development project focused on promoting and enhancing interprofessional education (IPE) in dementia care.
“We are developing a series of modules that will cover critical ADRD topics such as brain health and risk reduction, early detection and treatment options, working with older adults and families from diverse communities, and the application of IPE principles,” Kwak added. “We will pilot this curriculum with recruited students and faculty representing various health disciplines from UT Austin, evaluate and disseminate our findings through various professional channels and conferences. Ultimately, our goal is to create a robust curriculum that can be used at UT Austin and beyond.”
Kwak and Aguirre are collaborating with colleagues from The University of Texas at Austin Center for Health Interprofessional Practice and Education, which brings students, faculty and practitioners across health programs together and leads interprofessional training programs locally and nationally. They are also collaborating with the National Alzheimer’s Association office as well as the local chapter, the Capital of Texas chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and the Department of State Health Services Alzheimer’s Disease Program.
“We are incredibly excited about the potential of this project to enhance interprofessional education and improve dementia care,” Kwak concluded. “We look forward to sharing our progress and outcomes with the community and contributing to the ongoing effort to support those affected by dementia.”