The number of Americans living with some form of dementia is expected to double over the next 30 years. A dementia diagnosis has a profound impact on both the patient and their caregivers.
UConn Health is the first health system in Connecticut to announce that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will launch a new pilot program to help ease this enormous burden, called the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model. The GUIDE Model aims to effectively address the challenges that dementia poses, focusing on providing support and services to both patients and caregivers.
The GUIDE model aims to improve the quality of life for people with dementia while reducing the burden on caregivers. The program focuses on coordinating dementia care and dementia care services that support and enable people with dementia to remain in their homes and communities, while providing caregivers with access to additional educational resources and respite services. Respite care is being tested in the GUIDE model to evaluate its effectiveness in enabling caregivers to continue caring for their loved ones at home and avoid or delay the need for institutional care.
The pilot of the GUIDE model will begin July 1 and run for eight years. Nearly 400 first-time GUIDE participants like UConn Health from across the country represent a wide range of health care providers, including large academic medical centers, small group practices, community-based organizations, health systems, hospice agencies and other practices.
For eligible dementia patients, the new care model will be covered under Parts A and B of traditional Medicare benefits. Patients eligible for UConn Health’s pilot program are those who are seen by a geriatrician at the UConn Center on Aging and diagnosed with dementia. UConn Health, along with CMS, will proactively reach out to patients who may be eligible for the program. Geriatricians at the UConn Center on Aging will also accept new patients into the GUIDE model program.
Patients enrolled in the GUIDE program receive a comprehensive evaluation by a UConn Health geriatrics specialist and a home visit by a UConn Health navigator to identify safety risks and needs at home. UConn Health’s multidisciplinary care team works with caregivers to develop coordinated care plans and medication schedules, and provides caregiver skills training, referrals to helpful services like delivered meals and transportation, and a UConn Health GUIDE Care Team phone support line that is available 24/7. Additionally, respite services are available to help caregivers have time to care for themselves.
“It is a tremendous accomplishment that the University of Connecticut Medical Center and its nationally renowned geriatric medicine expertise were selected as the first institution in Connecticut to deploy and test the GUIDE Model Pilot Program,” said Khadija Poitras-Rhea, LCSW, vice chancellor for population health at the University of Connecticut Medical Center. Karina Berg, PhD, associate professor, and Wendy Martinson, outpatient quality management manager, at the University of Connecticut Center on Aging, were instrumental in the application process and fast-tracking the pilot program to arrive at the University of Connecticut Center on Aging. Experienced geriatric medicine providers from the University of Connecticut will implement the GUIDE Model Pilot Program with dementia patients and their caregivers.
“This program will enable UConn Health to provide critical care coordination services that address social, environmental and emotional challenges and help people with dementia continue living in their own homes. GUIDE combines comprehensive medical care for patients with additional services such as support groups, respite care, community resources and education to support person-centered care. The program is focused on health equity, and our team works closely with senior centers, faith communities and other organizations in underserved areas to deliver GUIDE benefits, reducing health disparities in memory care for marginalized groups and increasing health equity,” said Poitras-Leah.
“Dementia doesn’t just affect the individual patient, it impacts the entire family. At UConn Health, we already have a unique interdisciplinary program that provides comprehensive, global medical care to patients suffering from memory loss. This new program allows us to remain at the forefront of efforts to also improve the lives of caregivers through clinical care, education and research,” said Dr. George Kuchel, director of the UConn Center on Aging and the UConn Older Americans Independence (Pepper) Center.
The health and well-being of people with dementia also depends on the health and well-being of their caregivers, many of whom are close relatives, says Dr. Patrick P. Coll, chair of Geriatrics and medical director of geriatric medicine at the University of Connecticut Medical Center. “When we care for people with dementia, we also educate, guide and advise their families and caregivers. We are fortunate to have a dedicated social worker, Elizabeth Brookin, who already helps us with this aspect of patient care. Joining GUIDE will allow us to provide even more support to families and caregivers in the future.”
The pilot program also represents another opportunity for the University of Connecticut Center on Aging to further strengthen advanced training for the next generation of much-needed dementia-specialized health care workers.
Currently, approximately 7 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia. Alarmingly, by 2060, the number of Americans with dementia is expected to double to 14 million.
The GUIDE model fulfills the promise of the Biden Administration’s Executive Order on Expanding Access to Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers and is also aligned with the national plan to address Alzheimer’s Disease. Learn more about the GUIDE model of CMS.
To learn more about UConn Health and the UConn Center on Aging’s GUIDE model, please contact GUIDEprogram@uchc.edu.
