Using Multimedia to Change Public Perceptions of Aging and Memory Loss

In 2007-2008, the Alzheimer's Association conducted a nationwide townhall series, inviting people concerned with memory loss to open forums to share their needs and experiences through facilitated discussions that were published in a report released in 2008 (www.alz.org/townhall). One of the main outcomes these participants shared is that stigma about dementia impeded their path to diagnosis and in pursuing available treatments and support.

To address this need, the Association has developed a multi-tiered strategy to change public perceptions about living with dementia and the differences between typical aging and substantive memory loss. At the center of this effort is a national council of people 52-82 living with dementia who publicly share their stories to defuse stigma as a barrier to discussion and treatment. The awareness-building component includes the development of a video library of unscripted interviews with people with dementia, which now includes more than 20 hours of footage. It also includes ongoing PR efforts generating news in media from HBO to PBS and ABC Nightly News. Social media has also been used, including three-minute film clips on You Tube and Facebook. Finally, the alz.org Web site has been a key resources, e.g. a popular checklist of memory questions is being uploaded more than 5,000 times per month.

With America now facing its largest population of older adults in history and age as the greatest risk factor for dementia, multimedia can enhance concern and awareness. The project has produced some exciting preliminary results with an approach that can be replicated.