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About 6.7 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, and a small army of 11 million or so caregivers care for them. Many caregivers are friends and relatives, doing a difficult, often thankless job for little or no pay. If you’re one those caregivers, extra support and help may be on the way soon.
This week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a pilot program, the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, designed to “support people living with dementia and their unpaid caregivers.” The program’s goal is to create a comprehensive care strategy for people with dementia by providing coordinated services and support.
What can caregivers expect from the GUIDE model?
The voluntary system will provide free training and support services for caregivers to people with dementia like:
A 24-hour helplineA trained “care navigator” who will help connect caregivers with available clinical and non-clinical services like meals and transportation“Comprehensive, person-centered” assessments and care plans“Evidence-based education and support,” such as training on best practices for caring for a loved one living with dementiaPaying participants to fund “respite services,” like home health aidesIn other words: The program will organize and standardize the support services that home caregivers provide, as well as provide funds for some much-needed time off.
Do you need to enroll in the Guide program to receive benefits from it?
If you’re an individual caregiver or person with dementia, there’s no program to enroll in or steps that need to be followed. CMS is accepting letters of interest from Medicare Part B enrolled providers and practitioners, however, and will begin looking for applicants in the fall. GUIDE is planned to launch on July 1, 2024 and will run for eight years.
What are the broader goals of the GUIDE program?
The program is an attempt to reduce common negative outcomes for people with dementia and their caregivers. It’s thought that a coordinated approach could lower rates of hospitalization and emergency room visits for people with dementia. It’s also aimed at lowering the high levels of stress and depression seen in people who care for people with dementia.
The program is also designed to address systemic inequality in healthcare. According to the CMS, Black and Hispanic populations have a higher prevalence of dementia, but are less likely to receive timely diagnoses, and spend a higher share of their family assets on dementia care. To counter this, CMS has pledged to seek out organizations in underserved communities to enroll them in the program and eventually provide extra services to the people who need it most.
