Dementia affected more than 6.7 million Americans in 2023, with 14 million cases projected in the U.S. by 2060. For millions of caregivers of people living with dementia, there is a longstanding gap in resources and best practices to support this population.
As part of a new voluntary nationwide project launched last year by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), experts from across the country were invited to submit proposals to participate in creating a new standard of care through the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model. Successful submitters were recently notified of their acceptance into this pilot project and McLean Hospital was honored to be among those sites that will participate.
A team led by Ipsit Vahia, MD, interim chief of the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, director of Digital Psychiatry Translation, and director of the Technology and Aging Laboratory at McLean Hospital, and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, will develop and test strategies to improve dementia care as part of CMS’s nationwide approach to address this urgent issue.
“For our team at McLean, working with patients and families impacted by dementia and related issues is a central part of our work and something we are all deeply passionate about,” said Vahia.
“To be able to be at the forefront of creating a better strategy and model to support these families and patient populations is something we are all incredibly proud and energized to be part of.”
McLean Hospital is a national leader in research into geriatric cognitive disorders including cutting-edge studies conducted by investigators in McLean’s Geriatric Psychiatry Clinical Research Program.
The team’s current research includes exploring ways to slow down disease progression of Alzheimer’s disease, potential treatments for behavioral complications of Alzheimer’s dementia, as well as aspects of depression and bipolar disorder, memory loss, and more. McLean also offers inpatient and outpatient geriatric psychiatry services.
People living with dementia often have multiple chronic conditions and receive fragmented care, leading to high rates of hospitalization and emergency department visits. They also may have behavioral health symptoms and often need 24/7 care.
The challenges of managing health care, providing constant support, and dealing with the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia can present a significant mental, physical, emotional, and financial burden for caregivers and disproportionately impact Black, Hispanic, and Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations.
The goal of the GUIDE Model will be to offer a standard approach to care, including care coordination and resource navigation, as well as caregiver training, education, and support services.
“Participating in GUIDE will support and further enhance the comprehensive dementia care we have been building at McLean that addresses the needs of both the people living with dementia and their caregivers. It will also help us to focus on our commitment to healthy equity in serving racially minoritized populations,” said Marie Clouqueur, LICSW, who leads the caregiver support services in McLean’s geriatric outpatient clinic.
The hope is this standardized approach will allow people living with dementia to remain safely in their homes for longer by preventing or delaying nursing home placement and to improve quality of life for both people living with dementia and their unpaid caregivers. The GUIDE model launched on July 1, 2024, and will run for eight years.
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