ALZHEIMER'S EDUCATION PROGRAM

HS 390 – Program Planning/Implementation

BYU—Idaho, Department of Health Sciences
Emma Kohlbacher, Katlin Ro, Mattie Ferronato
March 30, 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RATIONALE 3
NEEDS ASSESSMENT 4
Determining the purpose and scope of the needs assessment 4
Gathering data 4
Analyzing the data 4
Identifying the risk factors linked to the health problems 4
Identifying the program focus 4
Validating the prioritized needs 4
MISSION STATEMENT, GOALS, & OBJECTIVES 5
Mission Statement 5
Goals & Objectives 5
INTERVENTIONS 6
BUDGET 7
MARKETING 8
Consumer orientation & competition 8
Segmentation 8
Brand 8
Detailed marketing plan 8
IMPLEMENTATION 9
Adoption of the project 9
Identifying & prioritizing the tasks to be completed 9
System of management 9
Putting the plans into action 9
Ending of sustaining a program 9
First day of implementation/Kick-off event 9
EVALUATION 10
REFERENCES 11

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RATIONALE
Alzheimer’s is an important national health problem in the United States. More than 6
million Americans suffer and are living with Alzheimer’s. It is estimated by 2050, that 13
million Americans will be suffering from Alzheimer’s. In North Carolina, 9.1% of the elderly
population 65 years and older suffer from this disease and other types of dementia. One in three
seniors die with Alzheimer’s or Dementia. These two diseases kill more than prostate and breast
cancer combined. The costs of Alzheimer’s and dementia in this nation are on the rise. In the
year 2021, Alzheimer’s and other types of dementias will cost the United States $355 billion. In
the future, by 2050, the costs could rise to $1.1 trillion. The caregivers are a part of these
numbers as well. These caregivers (that were paid) provided about 15.3 billion hours of care
valued at $257 billion. There are more than 11 million Americans that provide unpaid care for
people that suffer from Alzheimer’s and other dementias (Alzheimer's Association, 2021).

In Mecklenburg County, we know that the proportion of elderly residents 65 years and
older is 9.1 percent. For these residents, it is the fourth leading cause of death among them. The
2012 State of County Health Report said Alzheimer’s in Mecklenburg County is the third leading
cause of death. Because of this trend, this needs to be talked about. This problem needs to be
addressed because it is killing so many residents, and we need to spread awareness of
Alzheimer’s among the community. It needs to be dealt with because we need to help the people
that are affected by Alzheimer’s, and we need to further educate the community by offering
courses to teach about how they can help elderly patients that have Alzheimer’s.

A proposed solution that we have to the issue is called the Alzheimer’s Education
Program. This program would help teach the community on how to help the elderly that have
just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and the people that have it. It would teach the community
on what they should know, and how they can help these elderly folks. We first want to increase
awareness of Alzheimer’s. We would make pamphlets to spread the word about this program, so
that people would know our mission, and what we are trying to accomplish. Second, we want to
educate the people that are diagnosed, and their family members about what they are going to go
through. Third, we are going to make a course to educate the caregivers on what they should be
doing to help the diagnosed. We want to make sure that the proper information is being given
out, and we want those that are greatly affected to be helped. Educating the community is
important so they can understand what these elderly patients are going through, so they can be
cared for properly.

Some things that can be gained from having this program in place is having the main
caregivers better understand what is happening to their elders, those affected can better
understand what is happening to themselves, and help encourage/advertise the needed care to
those who may be lacking in different aspects of care. Some benefits that would come from this
program include keeping the affected population safe, hopefully prevent elders from being lost

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due to not recognizing where they are or who they are with, and helping improve the quality of
care/life that is received by those affected by this disease.

The implementation of the Alzheimer’s Education Program will likely be a success for
those in Mecklenberg County in North Carolina. This program will be aligned to help address
some of the primary health concerns identified in the Mecklenburg County Community Health
Assessment. Some of those concerns regarded having access to care or knowledge of treatment.
The Alzheimer’s Education Program will aid in the education of detection and care for those
who have Alzheimers. This program will be accessible to everyone regardless of social or
economic class.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT

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Determining the purpose and scope of the needs
assessment
The goal of a needs assessment is to increase the awareness and education of
alzheimers in our community, of Charlotte, North Carolina. We hope to increase the
awareness specifically about the care and prognosis that Alzheimer's leaves on those
that are affected by the disease whether they are the patient or watching someone
suffer through the illness. Some things that we hope to find out from our needs
assessment is our priority population’s general location, what is being done to educate
others on the illness and how people affected by the disease are being taught to help
those living with the disease. Some questions that are important to ask are what they
feel we need to further educate others on, what they think is good for further care and
how to best help others with the illness.
A needs assessment is what needs to happen so we can identify the needs of
the community and see what they really see as problems. What we want to accomplish
from a needs assessment is where the priority population is specifically, what do they
need, what resources are available to help increase awareness and education, if this
issue has been addressed in the past, what resources are available to use, and what is
being done right now to resolve the need for better awareness and education.
What we hope to find out from our needs assessment is where our needs
assessment will be using secondary data, because it already exists and is inexpensive
to access. This data is already collected by someone else and we can use it. We can
collect our data from different government agencies (ex. CDC, NHIS), or from non
governmental agencies and organizations (ex. Health care Systems, local agencies).
The level of prevention that we are seeking out is on the primary prevention level. We
would like to stop and educate earlier before the disease is too far and too help them
help others.
Gathering data
There is a global issue of Alzheimers. It is said that the “ number of people with
dementia in low- and moderate income countries is expected to quadruple” (Committee
on Foreign Affairs, 2014). That is a majority of the world’s population. It is apparent that
this is an issue that needs to be addressed on a global scale. In the United States alone
we see that it is the sixth leading cause of death (Yoelin, 2017). It is only suspected that
the effects of Alzheimers will increase and things will get worse unless something
changes. Currently this issue is said to have no cure. There are efforts being made to
search for a cure and causes of Alzheimers. However, it is essential to know how to
treat or care for those that have been diagnosed with Alzheimers.

Research done in smaller regions such as Mecklenberg County in North Carolina

show that Alzheimer’s Disease is the fifth leading cause of death. This is consistent with

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the nation’s leading cause of death. This issue is not just on a global scale, it is within
smaller populations. It is reported that it takes an average of 9.1 years of life off an
individual. Just in four years we find that Alzheimers has been the cause of death of
1,557 individuals in Mecklenberg County(Mecklenberg County Health Department,
2019). Alone in the year of 2017 it caused the death of 290 people.
Analyzing the data
Our priority population is the community in Mecklenberg County, North Carolina.
Demographic information was gathered for Mecklenberg County in their Community
Health Assessment (CHA). According to the Community Health Assessment the
population is 1,076,837 with the mean age 35 years old (Mecklenberg County Health
Department, 2019). More recent demographics collected by the U.S. Census Bureau
indicates the population of 65 aged and older makes up 11.5% which is an increase
from previous years (United States Census Bureau, 2021).
The CHA analyzed a list of health issues that are specific to Mecklenberg
County. In 2017 it was identified that the second largest issue was access to healthcare
(Mecklenberg County Health Department, 2019). There are 12% of individuals in the
Mecklenberg County that are uninsured. This equates to 230,000 adults that are unable
to have a primary care provider (Mecklenberg County Health Department, 2019). While
a lack of insurance could be one contributing factor to someone not receiving health
care, there are many other reasons that might prevent one from accessing health care.
These reasons could include transportation, funds, scheduling, etc. This is a major
issue that is facing Mecklenberg County. There needs to be more accessibility to health
care. Specifically this can affect those who are needing health screening for conditions
such as Alzheimers. This creates a problem if individuals are unable to be screened and
unable to know how to treat this condition.
Relating to the issue of access to healthcare is the issue of poverty. In
Mecklenberg County the CHA reported 11.1% of the population is in poverty. Many
primary care physicians (PCPs) are the first to see the early stages of dementia and
alzheimers. When it comes to the older generation with lower income their access to
specialists is also very limited (Wilkins, 2007). It is imperative that these PCPs are
increasing in their understanding and knowledge of how to identify the early stages of
alzheimers. This is also true of the community. Since not everyone has access to
medical care there should be a program set in place to help the community as a whole
have the knowledge for early detection as well as treatment and care.
In Mecklenberg County mental health is the number one leading health issue.
The CHA disclosed that 157,000 adults were reported as being diagnosed with
depression. This means that 1 in 6 adults have depression (Mecklenberg County Health
Department, 2019). This does not even account for the individuals that have depression
or other mental health conditions that go unnoticed and undiagnosed. This is
concerning as the baby boomer population is more prone to Alzheimers than

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generations before. This is likely caused by loneliness, depression, and other factors
(Waghorn, 2020). We see that social conditions are linked to health. The reasons
provided can give us an idea of how one might lose some cognitive functions due to
other social issues. It could be suggested that overall health is important to prevention
of Alzheimers.
Identifying the risk factors linked to the health problems
Underlying causes of Alzheimer’s start early in the brain before symptoms
appear. During the early stages, unhealthy changes are taking place in the brain. There
is an irregular buildup of proteins that form amyloid plaques and tangles of tau. Healthy
neurons in the brain will suddenly stop functioning, they lose connection with other
neurons, and then they die. The first signs of Alzhiemer’s usually vary from person to
person. For most people, a decline of memory in aspects of cognition such as word-
finding, impaired reasoning or judgment, and vision/spatial issues are early onset signs
of the disease. Problems with Alzhiemer’s include wandering and getting lost, trouble
using money, taking a while to complete everyday tasks, and repeating questions.
Alzhiemer’s usually occurs in older adults 65 years or older. People that are diagnosed
with Down Syndrome, and MCI are at a higher risk for being diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s. (National Institute on Aging, 2021).
Toxins such as air pollution have been linked to alzheimers, but not much is
known about it. Smoking cigarettes, poor diet, and lack of physical activity have been
known to affect Alzheimer's. But if you have a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and
engage in social interactions, are all things that can keep people healthy as they start to
age.
Most people with Alzhiemer’s start to show signs of this disease in their mid 60’s
or later. Researcher’s have not found a specific gene that directly causes Alzhiemer’s.
But, they have discovered that if you have the apolipoprotein E gene, it can increase
your risk. Having this gene increases your risk, and is associated with early onset of
Alzheimer’s. Scientists have discovered specific regions of the genome that may
increase or decrease a person’s risk for Alzhiemer’s. In some instances, it is caused by
an inherited change in one of the three genes. Most people with Down Syndrome
develop Alzheimer’s because they have an extra copy of chromosome 21 which holds
the gene that produces a harmful amyloid (Jenesse, 2019).
Identifying the program focus
The focus of our program is to increase the awareness of Alzheimer’s and increase the
education for the disease so that people can better understand it, and be a better help
to those who are affected by the disease. With educating the priority population about
the illness, they can better understand what is happening to them and take better
precautions to help themselves and the people around them. Some of the predisposing

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factors that have a direct impact on the risk factors, include the way that they are
thinking, what their beliefs are and how they see the world.
Knowing that the priority population is those 65 and older in Charlotte, North
Carolina, tells us that by their age that they are baby boomers. Most of this generation
has certain values, perceptions, attitudes and beliefs. This could create a risk in how
they seek medical care and view asking for help, by them not telling others when they
need help and just being strong. Some enabling factors that have a direct risk on their
health behaviors include their work environments (if they are working all day and don’t
want to take time off to see a doctor), access to medical care (if they can drive or if they
are relying on others for transportation) and the ability to get the care they need.
Depending on the insurance plan type they may have to go through several doctors to
receive the care that they need. Some of the reinforcing factors that have a direct
impact on the risk factors include, feedback from those that they care about, whether it’s
from a family member or a friend. This may bring in a better attitude to the care process,
it may boost a behavior change in the person affected so they can get the care that they
need.
For local health programs for those suffering from Alzhimers, they need to meet
the following criteria, being unable to function, lose control of movement, under 24 hour
supervision, unable to communicate and have become more vulnerable to different
infections. Most of the priority population is able to move when it is needed for them to
have the supervision that assessed living offers,but ultimately it would depend on the
amount of free space at the desired location. When moved to an assisted living or
caregiving facility, there are fees associated with it. For Southminsiter in Charlotte, NC
there is a one time entry fee and a monthly service fee. There is no indication of price
point on their website but where the patient would stay would depend on the family and
their preference.
Validating the prioritized needs
First, we determined the purpose of what needs to happen in the community to
raise awareness of Alzheimer's, and how we can educate everyone. Second, we
gathered secondary data to determine our target population, and what our health issue
was. We also used current data to help us find out if there were specific needs of priority
population. Third, we analyzed our data, seeing what the quality of life was, and what
the social conditions were of that population. We also addressed any important health
issues that are linked to Alzhiemer’s. Fourth, we identified risk factors of Alzhiemer’s.
We addressed behavioral factors, environmental factors, genetic factors and other
underlying causes of Alzhiemer’s. Fifth, we identified the program focus. We made sure
it was effective and if it was working for the priority population, if the program was
affordable, when and where the program is, and if the program is being utilized to its full
potential. Sixth, we made sure that the priority health issue is a need in the community,

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and that in every aspect it was addressed. We also made sure that the health issue was
solved in a respectable amount of time.
This health issue needs to be addressed because the priority population isn’t
educated about Alzheimer’s. For example, if a loved one and older parent were to be
diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, they wouldn’t understand what to do, or how to help their
parent. People that are diagnosed with this disease are greatly affected, and they need
help from the community. When the community is educated, they will know what to do
and how to help someone who has Alzheimer's. There is a need for a comprehensive
health program in the setting with the target population, because these are the people
that need to be educated on this disease the most. They aren’t really aware of
Alzheimer's, and they don’t know the signs or symptoms of the disease if someone
needs help. Learning the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's will benefit the community,
and they could possibly help someone in need. People that have Alzheimer's are all
affected differently, and they need to learn the signs.
This health issue can be solved in a reasonable amount of time, because there is
a simple solution. The community just needs to set up specific programs (almost like
going to a college class) and be educated on Alzheimer's. The program can last a few
weeks at most, and there can be different times so it can work with everyone’s
schedule. People that are educated on Alzheimer's can teach the class, and tell
everyone what they need to know.

MISSION STATEMENT, GOALS, & OBJECTIVES

Mission Statement
The mission of the Alzheimer's Education program is to further educate those affected
by the disease and advertise courses that are there to help with their family members
going through Alzheimers with an elder.

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Goals & Objectives
➢ Goal 1- Increase Awareness of Alzhimers disease.
○ Objective 1- Make pamphlets that can be handed out at doctor’s offices to
help spread word in the first 3 months.
○ Objective 2- Create an infographic for a missing persons detective to
hand out as they return the lost relative to their family in the first month.
➢ Goal 2- Help educate those affected by Azhimers about the prognosis.
○ Objective 1- Create a class to educate family members about the
prognosis they are facing within 2 months of the program.
○ Objective 2- Create a seminar to educate the patient about what is going
to happen within the first month of their diagnosis.
➢ Goal 3- Help teach the affected group about the proper care for patients and
themselves.
○ Objective 1- Create a course for main caregivers/family members on how
to help in the first month of diagnosis.
○ Objective 2- Create a course for family members to help their elders as
they go through this disease within the first 4 months of treatment.

INTERVENTIONS
Health Communication Strategy
Health communication strategy is considered a community level of influence
because it is applicable to institutional, community, public policy, environmental, and
culture. These are changes that are made by the community and organizations. This will
be used in alignment with the communication theory model as this is an issue that can
be addressed through the use of communication in various forms on a community level.

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 The intervention program will specifically target those who may be at greater risk
of Alzheimer's disease. In addition, we will target families of those that have been
diagnosed. Our priority population consists of the baby boomer era. Some of the best
forms of communications will be through radio, printed materials (such as newspaper),
television, and pamphlets at a doctors office or around the community. These channels
of communication will
be most accessible to
those of the priority
population. In addition,
those that are family
members of the priority
population will most
likely be reached best
via social media and the
other previously
mentioned means of
communication.

The goal of this intervention is to raise awareness and

education of Alzheimer’s in the community, specifically the
care and prognosis of the disease. Through spreading
awareness it will allow families and those that are susceptible
to have the knowledge of resources available to them. It will
also help them to understand how to see early warning signs of the disease and care for
those that may be suffering. This will accomplish our goals to help spread awareness to
the community.

Health Education Strategies

The level of influence that is being used would be institutional, because it is

focusing on promoting or restraining specific behaviors of Alzheimer’s with rules,
regulations, and classes to help the community better understand Alzheimer’s. The
model that I would use for my intervention would be the Community Readiness Model.
This model is used when a community is ready for and willing to take action on an
issue. It will help the intervention because it show’s the community it is willing to learn
about Alzheimer’s and its effect on the community. The goal behind this intervention
would be making sure that the community is fully aware and educated of Alzheimer’s. I
also want them to realize the effect of it on others, and how learning about it will benefit
their community. The lack of education is affecting the community, because the people

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aren’t fully aware of the problems within the community. People diagnosed with
Alzheimer’s have bad memory, and forget very easily, and have difficulty understanding
and thinking. They can get lost when they are by themselves, which is just part of the
issue. We need to recognize the signs and symptoms, and how we can help people that
are diagnosed or newly diagnosed. When the target population is educated, this issue
won’t be a huge issue in the community.

For my intervention, I would like to do a class/lecture to educate the community

of what Alzheimer's does, and what people are at risk for it. I also want people to learn
how they can recognize the signs of Alzheimer’s and what they can do to help them.
The lesson plan would be centered around how to recognize the signs and symptoms,
and how we can help the individuals that are diagnosed with it. The topic would be
awareness of Alzheimer’s. The lesson would be taught in an easy place like a
classroom in a school or a gym. I would have a professional that is educated in
Alzheimer’s, like a doctor for example. I would rather teach them because they will give
the right information to the people, and know more about it than I do.

The lesson would go like this, the doctor would first give a background on
Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s usually occurs in elderly adults at the age of 65 and older. It
typically occurs in women more than it does men. Signs and symptoms occur differently
in each person, but most people will start to have memory loss, they repeat questions,
have trouble paying bills, and get confused easily. When the signs get worse, they have
trouble speaking, they wander and get lost easily, and can’t recall memories. To help
individuals that are diagnosed, there are a few steps. First, stay in touch with the
person. Write them a card, call them, and visit them. Doing these things will show them
you care. It’s important to remember that everyone is different, and will prefer different
ways of communication. Learning what they prefer is important. Second, learn to be
patient with them. Being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s can be hard to accept, and people
that have Alzheimer’s are generally confused. It’ll take time to adjust, and you have to
learn what works for them. Fourth, offer a shoulder to lean on for the person diagnosed
and their family. They will be grateful for your generosity, and it will really help them out.
Fifth, engage with the person that has Alzheimer’s. It’s important to remember that their
conversation will become more limited, and that is when they need to have
conversations the most. Sixth, offer to help the family with a to-do list. Like preparing
them a meal, or offering a ride if they need it. Seventh, Engage with family, and offer to
help them whenever they need. Some families might not accept help immediately, and
might need to assess what is best for their family. When you do these things, you are
helping the people with Alzheimer’s and you are bettering your community. The time
that I would alot for this class would be 45 minutes to an hour. The materials that are
needed would be, a powerpoint, the doctor, pencil, paper, and refreshment. The
refreshments would be a fruit tray and a veggie tray. I would like to have this class held
three times a week so the community could learn everything they need to know. The
people there would ask questions about the power point, and the doctor would be
engaged with the individuals.

This intervention will help accomplish the goals of the program, because the

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community will now know about Alzheimer’s and how they can help others that have it.
It’s so important that everyone is educated on it. These changes will benefit the
community, and better help the people that are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Behavior Modification Activities

The level of influence that is reached at this level is the intrapersonal level of
influence because it mostly targets the knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs on the
subject- Alzhiemers- that we are trying to reach them on. The theory that we are going
to be using is the theory of planned behavior because this theory best works for working
their beliefs into intentions that can change their previous behavior. This will drive the
intervention because we will try to alter their beliefs in the subject to create better
intentions that will lead to better behavior and outcomes.

For this modification activity we will supply them with a journal that they can
write in daily for them to have as they cognitively degenerate. We would start a log for
what they do day to day so they
can look at what they are doing
and how to help push this
disease further away. An
example is included below this
paragraph. With this data that
can track the degeneration of the
people in the population to see
where they need the most help
and education on how to help
themselves and those around
them.
This works in tandem with
the goals and objectives to know
what to teach in our classes and
how to help those who need it.
This intervention will specifically help our mission by helping us know where our priority
population is directly struggling and where they feel that helping and education would be
most beneficial to them. This will help with reaching goal 3 and it’s objectives.

BUDGET
Budget

I. Personnel Costs

a. Salaries and Wages $ 40,000

b. Fringe Benefits $ 14,400
c. Consultants/Contracts $ 10,000

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 Subtotal $ 64,400

II. Non-Personnel Costs

a. Program Material $ 3,000

b. Office/Clinic Space $ 4,000
c. Capital Equipment $ 0
d. Office Supplies $ 10,000
e. Mail/Postage $ 1,200
f. Out-of-State Travel $ 0
g. In-State Travel $ 1,000
h. Telephone $ 2,400

Subtotal $ 21,600

BUDGET TOTAL $ 86,000

For our personnel cost, we first started with salary and wages. We decided that our
coordinator was paid 40,000 dollars because of all the planning and programming they are going
to take care of. We also looked up the average salary of a coordinator, and that helped us
determine our amount. To account for our fringe benefits, we took the 40,000 for salary and
wages and multiplied it by .36 and the number we got was 14,400. For our consultants/contracts,
we decided that 10,000 was appropriate. We are paying one doctor to make sure that we have the
correct information, and that we have everything that we need to teach.

In the program material budget item this is for materials specific to the communication
and educational portion of the plan. This includes the materials for printing such as ink, paper,
pens, and signs that are used at seminars. The office that is to be occupied by the full-time
employee is included in Office/Clinical Space. There is an additional cost for the rental of space
in which the seminars will be conducted. We do not have any capital equipment to account for.
Our office supplies take a large portion of our budget. This is due to the materials that are
purchased for our in house printing for our program. This includes a printer, laptops, fax
machine, office materials (chairs, tables, etc.), photocopy machines, and software design
programs.

For our mail and postage, we budgeted $1,200 because we are planning on using the
postage to reach out to some of our specific population who might operate better with physical
mail. This might work better for those who do not check their email and work better when
receiving letters as a physical reminder. We do not plan to do out-of-state travel for this program
so we allotted zero to that part of our budget. For in-state we plan to travel to the locations that

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we are hosting our seminars together in a car, allotting 1,000 for gas and travel purposes. Then
for our telephones we have an allotted $2,400 because we took the suggested $800 and
multiplied it by the three of us in the office.

MARKETING
Consumer orientation & competition
It would make it easy for the target population to obtain the product, because all they have to do
is show up to the classes being taught. All the information is being taught in these classes, and as long as
they show up they can learn about it. They can also pick up pamphlets. These pamphlets teach about
Alzheimer’s, and give a place and time for our classes.One issue that could affect the target population
not showing up, would be that they can’t fit it into their schedule. It might not work for them, so they
won’t be able to show up. A second issue could be that they might not have a ride to get to the classes.
Some people might live further away, and don’t have access to a car. A third reason would be that some
people might not care to change their behavior towards Alzheimer’s. The population might feel like they
know about Alzheimer’s, and they feel like they don’t need to learn any more than what they know. They

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also might feel like these classes don’t apply to their lives, so they don’t need to learn any of the
information. The benefit that the target population wants as a result of doing this desired behavior is
reaching the population, to teach them about Alzheimer’s and how it affects others. The target population
wants to help others that have been diagnosed, and people that are at risk for Alzheimer’s in the future.
These people need assistance, and the target population needs to learn how to care for them. This class is
also for the people that are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and how they can best manage their Alzheimer’s.
Learning this desired behavior will help the target population to care for the people diagnosed properly,
but it will also help the target population learn about Alzheimer’s for themselves. It will also help the
people that have Alzheimer’s learn new information to better themselves.

The target population would be willing to give up their time. To learn about Alzheimer’s, they
have to take the classes that are offered. This requires the people to give their time, so that they can attend
these classes. They would be willing to give up their old habits, and what they have learned about
Alzheimer’s. We want to start fresh, so they have to forget their old habits. Another thing they would be
willing to give up is their energy. They are going to spend their energy coming to these classes and
learning about Alzheimer’s. The target population would participate in the classes that are offered in the
community. These classes would teach them all about Alzheimer’s and how they can help others with
Alzheimer’s. The classes would be offered in the community, and the target population would be more
than willing to go to them. The classes are what works for the target population, and it is easiest for them.

The target population would like the product offered in a place that is close to them. It’s
important that these people can access it. This class is meant for people that have Alzheimer’s, and the
people that want to learn about it. Not everyone has access to cars, so walking distance is important. The
days of the week the target population would like this service offered would be tuesday and thursday. The
target population would like the service offered after their work days. The time they asked for would be
6:15 p.m. That is what works for everyone. The target population explained that they prefer to have small
group participation, most of them didn’t feel comfortable having individual attention. We explained to
them that if they have any individual questions, to come ask after the class.

The target populations explained that they weren’t willing to pay for the product. Most of them
felt like it should be free to them at no cost, so we made the class free. The best way to communicate
information to the target population would be pamphlets, so they can see the information we are going to
teach. They will also see where we are teaching it, and who is teaching it. We feel like this method is
easier for our target population, and that it will work efficiently. The members of the target population
think that other family members would want to participate in this program. The members that they were
thinking that would participate, would be the people willing to learn about Alzheimer’s. One woman said
that her family would be willing to participate, because they thought it was interesting. She explained that
her family consisted of her husband, two highschoolers, and her mother. The members of the target
population are choosing to fill their needs by coming to the classes, and learning about Alzheimer’s. The
people that are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are choosing to come to class to learn about how they can
help themselves. They are spending their energy, time, and willing to give up their old habits to learn
about Alzheimer’s, and how it affects others.

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Segmentation
The segments that we identified include: people who are helping others with the disease, those
going through the disease, those who have a relative going through the disease, and those who are
primary caretakers to those with Alzhimers. These are a part of our target population.

We will focus on the population to focus on. This is measurable in the way that they can see the
improvement in care for those affected, and see how their applicable knowledge is being used in their life
as a caretaker for someone with Alzhimers. This is substantial because it is large enough to help our
affected population, because it reaches multiple facilities and has different ways of spreading those who
need the information. This segment can be seen as accessible through being at convenient locations, like
hospitals and doctors offices- places that they will be familiar with and the information about the class
can be passed through missing persons officers/police officers, doctors who are specialists in the disease
and those who have gone through the course and seen improvement. This segment is seen as
differentiable because it is different from other Alzheimer's programs because it targets the groups and
caters to each person's experience that they may be having with the illness. Lastly this program can be
seen as actionable in the way that it gives the target population a starting point on how to help those
affected by the illness, and create a baseline of knowledge that will help them with the care that is best for
those most affected by the disease.

We chose the segment of primary caretakers for those that have Alzheimers. We chose this
segment because it is one that is measurable. We can determine the amount of primary caretakers there
are in addition to measure the amount or willingness for this segment to create change. This might be
more difficult for those that already have Alzheimers. In addition it is substantial because it is a large
enough population to reach those in need of assistance. The efforts spent on this segment will likely have
the most efficient and effective difference comparative to the other segments. They are more likely to be
reached and have positive change than other segments. The primary caretakers will be accessible and the
services provided will be able to be given to these individuals. This includes the educational program for
caring for those with Alzheimers. This segment is also differentiable as they are unique and will respond
differently to the market strategy than other segments. For those that are primary caretakers for those with
Alzheimers, they are going to respond differently to the marketing than those that are personally dealing
with the disease or helping a relative who is dealing with the disease. The amount of support and
knowledge will be slightly different for each segment and the marketing will target those differences.
Lastly, this is actionable for our segment. This is a product that will be specific to helping with
knowledge and education for those who are primary caretakers of those with Alzheimers. This will
benefit both primary caretakers and those suffering with Alzheimers.

Brand
Help those that Helped You.

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Detailed marketing plan
Our product that we are marketing is the classes itself, they are used to increase knowledge that is
gathered and taught to help others. The price is just the attention and time of those who are attending, it is
a free program to the city of Charleston. The place that the program
will be located in is hospital and doctors offices to create a
convenience to those who are attending the classes to learn more.
Promotion will include flyers, social media posts and announcements
sent by mail. There is a flier sample seen on the left.

IMPLEMENTATION
Adoption of the project
Our marketing plan includes giving out pamphlets, and teaching free classes to the priority
population. All they have to do is show up, and they don’t have to pay for it. We are paying for someone
to teach the class, and the priority population just needs to be there to obtain the information. These
classes are being used to help others gain knowledge, and be able to teach others this knowledge. The
price is just the priority population’s time and attention of those who do attend these classes, it’s a free
program. The program would be located in the hospital, so it’s more convenient for others to attend.
Other promotion ideas that would be used would be, social media posts, flyers, and announcements sent
by mail. The plan and strategies I believe would be a great way to get the target population involved in
the program, because they are being offered free classes to learn about Alzheimer’s, and they can learn
how to help others in their community that have Alzheimer’s. These are valuable skills to help others, and
it will help the target population understand how Alzheimer’s works. Some people might not want to give
up their time to take part in it, or it might not work for their schedule. I believe that for most of the target
population, it will work for them, and they will participate in this program.

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Identifying & prioritizing the tasks to be completed
We need to have a planning meeting first. We then need to hire staff, rent a building/classroom,
pilot test our program, revise the program based on the pilot test, promote the program, prepare for the
program kick-off, phase-in, and then total program implementation.

Mar. Apr. May June July Aug, Sept. Oct. Nov.

2022 2022

Planning Meeting ✓

Rent a building or classroom/ hire

staff

Pilot test program

Revise Program based on Pilot test

Promote program

Prepare for program kick-off

Phase-in

Total program implementation/

sustaining program

✓= means that it is complete. Each task has one month to be completed.

System of management
Kaitlin R.- Marketing manager, promotional materials, assist with program development, manages daily
tasks

Mattie F.- Strategic coordinator, coordination with teachers, reserving of space for educational courses,
assist with program development, assists with daily tasks

Emma K.-Communication specialist, head of program development, collecting program feedback, assist
with daily tasks

Putting the plans into action

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 Mar. Apr. May June July Aug, Sept. Oct. Nov.
2022 2022

Pilot Test Program

Establish pilot test population

Reserve space for test

Promote test program

Receive feedback from program

Revise program or adjust if needed

Phasing-In

Determine what programs are

already offered in areas

Determine best areas to spread

Promote/marketing for specific

growth areas

Coordinate with teachers for new

areas

Provide promotional material

Reserve space for target areas

Ending of sustaining a program

We are choosing to sustain this program because it is helpful for those who are learning more
about the disease for those who are diagnosed, helping or being a caregiver to those who are affected. It
will help improve the quality of life for those who are suffering from this illness. This program can be
sustained for many years, but the course materials may need to be altered due to the ongoing research of
the disease and how it affects people on a mental and physical level. Other organizations that could
partner with this program could include other organizations who are trying to increase awareness for other
cognitive diseases that cause degeneration in the brain and memory. The resources would be the same as
they are outlined in previously, we do not anticipate any changes in the materials that are needed to run
this program.
First day of implementation/Kick-off event
Our kickoff event would take place at The Bethlehem Center of Charlotte to reach our target
audience of the elderly population and people who are active participants in elders lives. This event would
happen on July 25, 2023. The event would take place midday to evening to make it more convenient to
those who we want to attend this kick off event (those suffering/the person with the diagnosis, their

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family and their main caregivers). This kick off event will be the first class that we offer, we will offer the
course to those that it applies to and their applicable people.To increase attendance in this event we plan
to offer snacks and drinks, and plan it at an ideal time for our target audience. After this kickoff event the
course will move around the town of Charlotte so we can reach those who can’t travel as far as others.

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EVALUATION
The purpose of our evaluation is to ensure that it is changing attitudes, behaviors, and people’s
knowledge about Alzheimer’s. We want the community to be aware, and be involved in this change.
Making sure that the participants think that this program is beneficial to improve it, and also helping them
learn to care for people that are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. We also want the population to be aware of
Alzheimer’s, and the effect that it has on their community. Learning this information will help us better
our program, and also help make it long lasting.

For our framework, we will first engage our stakeholders. The stakeholders that are involved are
private businesses that were willing to fund our program. The community is also a part of our
stakeholders, they are directly involved with the program. People that also have Alzheimer’s are affected
directly as well. Second, describing our program is important. We are trying to change the behavior of
Alzheimer’s and also helping people with Alzheimer’s in the community. Third, focusing on the design of
our evaluation. Our evaluation is meant to find how our program affected people, and if it made a
difference in the community. Fourth, we will gather evidence from our program to see if it had an impact
on the target population. Fifth, we have to judge our results, and see if our information has made an
impact. Sixth, sharing our information with our stakeholders, and sharing our information to people that
might be interested.

Formative evaluation

We are going to measure fidelity by using our Gantt chart. Using this chart will help us know if
we are getting all of our steps done in a reasonable amount of time. It also helps us keep track of what we
have done, and what we are working on. We also want to use a focus group, to ask the participants if they
believe this program is effective or not.

We want to pretest our materials, by asking the target population if they believe this program is
beneficial. We want to make sure that they will, and want to participate. Understanding why this program
exists is very important, and we want to make sure that the community will take part in this change.

Summative evaluation

Our evaluation will be performed by an internal source, because it’s cheaper and easier for us. We
have a year to conduct this evaluation, to make sure that it works, and it provides good information. Our
private businesses are financing this program, which makes it easier. Participants that can be included in
this evaluation would be everyone participating in the program, like our stakeholders, people participating
in the class, and people teaching the class. We don’t have the ability to randomize the participants
because they are volunteering to be a part of the program. We can’t put these people into experimental or
control groups. We also don’t have access to a comparison group, because we don’t have experimental or
control groups.

For this evaluation we are more interested in both types of data, quantitative and qualitative. The
qualitative data will be for the comparison of the quality of the program that we have implemented. The
quantitative data will be for measuring the quantity of the participants and the changed activities that help

22
those affected by the disease/illness. For this evaluation we would just use our data analysis skills to see
how people are liking the program and the educational knowledge that it is bringing them. The
stakeholders are more concerned with the reliability of the program because there is still ongoing research
in the field.

The limitations of our evaluation is that you can only see the difference that the programs can
make if people come to the classes and use the programs. A threat to potential biases is that we are having
an internal evaluation, so they might be more biased in their thoughts of the program because they are
from the same organization that created it. Some threats to internal validity would include seeing a
positive difference in the population, but it might be due to the decrease of the disease appearing in the
elderly population.

We will communicate our evaluation findings to stakeholders and others through a board meeting
that is open to the public if they are interested in seeing how the program helped the population. It would
be important to generalize our findings because if it works and helps other populations it can be applied
to other populations to help their Alzhiemers populations.

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REFERENCES

25
APPENDICES
If needed…not required

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