The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), aiming to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia, reduce caregiver strain and support aging in homes and communities.
"HHS continues to innovate to help Americans living with dementia and their unpaid caregivers," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a July 31 CMS news release. "Our new GUIDE Model has the potential to improve the quality of life for people with dementia and alleviate the significant strain on our families. We are proud to take these steps to deliver on the president’s promise to increase care coordination and improve access to services and supports for our families."
The model will be tested by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and is part of President Joe Biden's commitment to enhancing care coordination and accessibility for families, particularly those in underserved communities facing dementia-related challenges, the release reported. The application for GUIDE will be released in fall 2023, and interested organizations can submit letters of intent to CMS by Sept. 15.
The Biden-Harris administration is moving through with its promise to support Medicare beneficiaries with dementia and their unpaid caregivers, the release said. In addition to improving the quality of life for people living with dementia, the program is also expected to lessen the burden on unpaid caregivers and help people remain in their homes and communities.
The GUIDE Model is a key target from Biden's April 2023 Executive Order on Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers and one of the main objectives of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease, according to the release.
"While we have made tremendous progress in improving care for people with dementia through the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, people living with dementia and their caregivers too often struggle to manage their health care and connect with key supports that can allow them to remain in their homes and communities," Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, CMS administrator, said in the release.
"Fragmented care contributes to the mental and physical health strain of caring for someone with dementia, as well as the substantial financial burden," Brooks-LaSure added, according to the release. "We know that Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations have been particularly disadvantaged in receiving dementia care. The GUIDE Model will provide new resources and greater access to specialty dementia care in underserved populations and communities."
Through the GUIDE Model, CMS will evaluate a different method of compensating participants who offer essential supportive services to dementia patients, such as thorough person-centered assessments and care plans, care coordination and round-the-clock access to a support line, the release said. To access services and supports, including clinical and nonclinical services such as meals and transportation provided by community-based groups, people with dementia and their caregivers will have access to a care navigator under the model.
