IMPACT’s Engaging Partners Team leader Gary Epstein-Lubow, MD from the global health nonprofit, Education Development Center, received a grant from The John A. Hartford Foundation to coordinate with the developers of six evidence-based comprehensive dementia care programs to help define dissemination strategies, establish standards and tools, and conduct training to accelerate the adoption of evidence-based programs under the new Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model. The collaborating programs include:
- The Benjamin Rose Institute Care Consultation (BRI-CC)TM
- Care Ecosystem
- Eskenazi Healthy Aging Brain Center (HABC 3.0)
- Integrated Memory Care (IMC)
- Maximizing Independence (MIND) at Home
- UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care (ADC) Program
Dr. Epstein-Lubow and team, including IMPACT’s Engaging Partners Team Co-leader Ellen Tambor, MA will lead the National Dementia Care Collaborative (NDCC) which will provide a common platform for health systems and other provider organizations that have already implemented a proven model of comprehensive dementia care or are seeking to establish a new program in response to the call from CMS for applications for the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model.
The Guide Model was announced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in July 2023 to test an alternative payment model for Medicare to pay for comprehensive dementia care that includes support for family caregivers. On November 15, 2023, CMS released a Request for Applications (RFA) (PDF) for health systems and provider organizations interested in participating in the program. Applications will be accepted through Tuesday, January 30, 2024.
Health systems and organizations selected to participate in the GUIDE Model will establish dementia care programs (DCPs) that provide ongoing, longitudinal care and support to people living with dementia through an interdisciplinary team. GUIDE participants will be Medicare Part B enrolled providers/suppliers, excluding durable medical equipment (DME) and laboratory suppliers, who are eligible to bill for Medicare Physician Fee Schedule services and agree to meet the care delivery requirements of the model. (CMS.gov)