Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Scottsdale-based Hearts for Dementia has been selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to participate in a new Medicare alternative payment model designed to support people living with dementia and their caregivers.
Hearts for Dementia will be one of almost 400 participants building Dementia Care Programs across the country, working to increase care coordination and improve access to services and supports, including respite care, for people living with dementia and their caregivers, according to a press release.
“CMS is excited to partner with Hearts for Dementia under the GUIDE Model,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, in a prepared statement.
“GUIDE is a new approach to how Medicare will pay for the care of people living with dementia. The GUIDE participants are envisioning new ways to support not only people living with dementia, but also to reduce strain on the people who care for them, so that more Americans can remain in their homes and communities, rather than in institutions.”
The GUIDE Model tests a new payment approach for key supportive services furnished to people living with dementia, including comprehensive, person-centered assessments and care plans; care coordination; 24/7 access to an interdisciplinary care team member or help line; and certain respite services to support caregivers.
“The desire is to keep people with dementia in their homes or with loved ones for as long as possible,” said Hearts for Dementia Owner and Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner & Family Nurse Practitioner Lolita Tramel. “The GUIDE Model gives access to the necessary support services that are crucial in making that desire a reality, especially as many of these families are often Medicare beneficiaries themselves who could tap into this program.”
Hearts for Dementia’s participation in the GUIDE Model will help people living with dementia and their caregivers access education and support, such as training programs on best practices for caring for a loved one living with dementia.
