Abstract
Efforts to translate evidence-based dementia interventions into community practice aid in determining effective programs and services. Randomized clinical trials are important to identify efficacy of a treatment or intervention, but translation studies provide useful findings about its impact in the community. Translation studies provide valuable information about care practices that can be successfully delivered in the community and help identify needs for adjustment of the intervention to suit different groups of people. However, even with evidence supporting the benefits, only a small portion of published interventions developed become widely disseminated, implemented, and sustained in either clinic or community settings. Many factors should be considered when deciding whether a program or intervention is appropriate for a community such as congruence with respect to agency mission and organizational practices, staffing expertise needed for implementation, capacity to maintain fidelity, and a reliable source of funding to ensure sustainability. Most of the translation studies of dementia interventions have been funded by the Administration on Aging through the congressionally mandated Alzheimer’s Disease Services and Supports Program (ADSSP) followed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving in partnership with Johnson and Johnson. This presentation will provide a brief overview of barriers and considerations for community translation and focus primarily on the ADSSP grantee experience translating evidence-based dementia interventions to the local community.