Updated: March 27, 2026
BOLD Public Health Programs to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
The BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Reauthorization Act of 2024 (H.R.7218) was passed into law on Dec. 11, 2024. BOLD amended Title III of the Public Health Service Act to extend grant funded programs (2023-2028) and increase public health knowledge and awareness of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD).
DPH is one of 43 state health departments funded to promote a strong public health approach to promote statewide risk reduction strategies to address ADRD, prevent chronic disease and manage comorbidities, and provide educational materials and linkages to care for all populations affected by ADRD.
Key Strategies
- Promote the SC Statewide Plan to address Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (2023-2027) (pdf)
- Develop the SC Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia Implementation Plan Report (2025) (pdf)
- Implement Risk Reduction Strategies for ADRD - Take Brain Health to Heart
- Apply the Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map Actions for Education and Empowerment (E), Policies and Partnerships (P), Skilled Workforce (W), and Measure, Evaluate and Utilize Data (M) to support:
- E-1 - Educate the public about brain health, risk reduction, and early detection
- E-2 - Integrate best available evidence about brain health and cognitive decline risk factors into existing health communications
- P-1 - Promote the use of effective interventions to protect brain health
- W-1 - Educate public health and healthcare professionals on sources on reliable info about brain health
- W-3 - Educate public health professionals on best available evidence on brain health
- M-1 - Implement BRFSS Cognitive Decline and Caregiving modules
- M-3 - Use data gleaned from surveillance strategies to inform public health programs and policy response
The following ADRD Educational Materials have been shared statewide:
- Primary Care Provider Survey (pdf) – Analysis of findings to increase Alzheimer’s Disease Provider Training, Screening, and Assessment
- Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) and Dementia Caregiver Infographic (pdf) – Analysis extracted from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
- SC Dementia Toolkit (pdf) – Developed by the SC Department on Aging
- Community-Clinical Linkages for the Prevention and Control of Chronic Diseases: A Practitioner’s Guide (pdf)
- Brain Health Activities for Senior Centers (pdf) – Toolkit for Senior Center Directors
Key Partners
- Alzheimer’s Association – SC Chapter
- South Carolina Department on Aging
- University of South Carolina – Office for the Study of Aging
- South Carolina Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
- National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
- BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act
The BOLD projects described were supported by Grant/Cooperative Agreement Number DP-23-0010 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).